A Change of the Guard
by eso terik
Summary: Buliara has aged, and Link must take her place on Riju's guard. Adventures ensue. Eventual Link x Riju, probably.
1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

 **So this is the first fanfiction I'm going to be attempting to legitimately branch out over time. I make no promises, as I'm busy to begin with and a fucking nerd in the abstract, so with school (and debate season) picking back up in a week for me, it'll probably be hard for me to maintain a consistent update schedule. With that being said, this is an idea I've had for well over two months, and I figured that if a thought can wiggle its way that deep in my head, it's probably worth expanding upon. I'll do my best to get weekly updates for as long as possible, and let you know when I'm going to be spotty.**

 **Reviews, follows, favs, etc. are all immensely appreciated to let me know that there's interest in seeing where this story goes!**

 **Disclaimer thingymabobber: I don't own Nintendo. Most of these characters are not mine. If I** _ **did**_ **own Nintendo, you can be sure that we wouldn't have waited six years between Legend of Zelda titles (six fucking years!).**

 **Enjoy!**

Outside, the night air was cold, but within the Gerudo Town's walls, the festivities underway would keep the young traveler warm. His name was Link, and this town was in a state far removed from the first time he'd seen it, two years ago. The parties and jolliness he witnessed here was in polar opposition to the crisis state that the Great Calamity had imposed, and even the old guards, who he could still recognize from his previous visit, could be seen relaxing a little bit. How could this have been the same place that was once terrorized by the enigmatic beast stalking the desert storm? The answer was simple, and had one name: Riju.

Makeela Riju, the Gerudo chieftain, had proven her competency at a stunningly young age, taking the throne at just fourteen after her mother's passing. Then, worries had been piling up one after another; the reawakening of the Divine Beast, the Yiga Clansmen terrorizing her town, and a generally collapsing quality of life within the town as individual citizens developed problem after problem. She led her people with admirable strength, considering her age, but after two years, the anxiety buzzing in her head reached a fever pitch when the Thunder Helm was stolen, and she feared a complete collapse of her society. But then, according to all but three living Gerudo, she had singlehandedly defeated the Yiga Clan, used the Thunder Helm to reclaim Vah Nabooris, and employed a young Hylian vai to solve the problems of the townsfolk. Admittedly, this was a slight exaggeration, but it was decided by all involved that it was the best explanation to put forth. After all, to tell the whole truth would've included admitting accepting a voe within the city's walls, and that just couldn't do. Although she could not personally admit it, she felt that she owed a personal debt to the hero who'd intervened to save the town on her behalf, and it had worried her slightly to watch him leave confidently on the road to Hyrule Castle Town. It worried her more when she didn't hear of him for a year following, but after news of his victory reached her ears, that fear was abated. She was content to let him live his life, but had, two weeks ago, sent a messenger with an invitation to her coming-of-age ritual. It was mostly as a formality; he was the last living formal representative of the kingdom of Hyrule, and he'd established himself as their generation's Hero. It was only proper. She hadn't ever expected him to actually show up, but here he was.

It was eleven at night when Lady Riju's entertainment was interrupted by a guard, notifying her that a voe was at the front gates, claiming to have been personally invited to join in the party. "Goddess," she laughed, "you certainly do have a sense of humor." Turning to her guard, she asked, "What did he look like? Light hair, blue eyes, toned figure, carrying a blade?"

"Yes, ma'am!"

Riju chuckled heartily. "This may just be worth my time! Buliara, come with me, let's see if our long-lost hero has returned at last." Gracefully, she set down her goblet and walked to the north gate, stopping to converse with her people frequently along the way. It couldn't be, she thought, he couldn't have possibly returned just for a silly party, not after so long. "I guarantee you," she said to Buliara, her faithful bodyguard, "this is just some schmuck trying a new way to get inside the town walls. I'll never understand why they don't just wait for one of us to leave; it happens often enough!" A testament to the lighthearted atmosphere, Buliara allowed herself a smirk. This unusual display of emotion didn't go unnoted by her chief, and Riju's spirits were lifted ever higher. This night had been perfect. So perfect, in fact, Riju told herself, that she truly did not care if this was really the hero she remembered or just a random Hylian voe. She even expected him not to be, so she was surprised when she recognized the face that stared back at her when she reached the gate. Riju was never left without words, and she decided a scoff was in order. "I cannot believe it! Link, you actually showed up! The letter was more of a formality than an actual hope, if you understand. No offense, of course!"

"Ah," the Hylian murmured from under his hood. "I suppose I can _leave_ then, if that would better suit you," he jested.

"No, no, of course not. You're welcome here any time! Well, perhaps not _any_ time; you are a voe, but I think the sentiment prevails," she responded. "Come in, come in, we've catching up to do!"

Link was surprised to see that Riju hadn't grown taller than him, as he'd expected her to be at least average height for her race. She was still an inch shorter than the Hylian, and although she no longer carried quite the same youthful appearance she had when he first met her, she was by no means nearing the physical capacity of her guards. As he entered the city, Buliara gave him a small nod, and he was taken aback by how much she'd aged in two years. He made a small note to catch up with her, as well, but, out of respect for Riju's ceremony, decided to hold off until the chief retired for the night.

"You arrived a bit late," Riju admitted, "the celebrations are over, and we've only leftovers if you're hungry."

"Thank you, but I carry my own food," Link replied courteously. "How has the town been?"

"A few people are wishing for a visit from the mysterious Hylian vai who helped with every mundane task she was asked a few years ago, but I've told them that she's busy elsewhere." Riju chuckled. "Most leave it at that. Other than those few issues, things have been progressing marvelously as of late. Visits with dignitaries from the other peoples of Hyrule inform me the prosperous times have been widespread. All thanks to you."

Link shrugged. "It was my job."

"It was, indeed. Speaking of your job, what have you been up to lately? You fell off the map for a worrying amount of time after defeating Calamity Ganon."

"I have been involved with various quests, the most recent being honing my skills along the northern edge of Hyrule. If one runs east to west along the cliff faces of Hebra and Eldin, there are five silver Lynels to face off against in just a few days."

"And how long have you been doing that?"

"Two months. It's honestly starting to get a little boring," Link admitted. "They're becoming predictable."

Riju laughed at that. "There's not another soul in this world who could claim that squaring off against five silver Lynels is boring! I commend you, Link."

"Before I started on that, there were Molduga infestations in the deserts south of here. Technically another kingdom's territory, but a messenger of theirs' reached me with a plea for help. That took me a few months, and was when I ran into your ambassador, who informed you that I was still alive."

"Ah, I was wondering where the Molduga had disappeared to," Riju said. "I presume that you dealt with them along the way, as well."

"I'm pretty sure I actually killed most all of them during my little stint lost in the desert, back even before I headed to Hyrule Castle."

"Ah, I see. Well, I thank you nonetheless. They'd blocked major trade routes for our city." Riju sipped on wine, taking in the night air for a moment. "I believe, if it's alright with you, Link, that I'll retire for the night. The festivities have sizzled, but there are still bountiful drinks and foods, should you at any point want them, but tomorrow I must leave for rounds of negotiations with foreign ministers regarding trade and other issues. I will have my guards arrange a place for you to stay tonight, but it would be unwise for you to remain within the town for longer than you have to. The voe ban still stands. Sav'orr."

"Sav'orr," the Hylian called after her. Buliara attempted to pass him, but he placed a hand on the old soldier's shoulder before she could take her post outside Riju's room.

"What is it, Link," Buliara asked.

"Can I have a moment to speak with you privately? In regards to Lady Riju's protection going forward."

"Perhaps at another time. For now, I must guard her room, lest there be an attack."

"That won't be an issue," Link assured. "I personally saw to it that no threats are within three-thousand paces of the town's walls." Buliara grunted, relenting. "Sarqso, old friend." The two walked down the stairs leading away from the throne room to the barracks, where on a normal night soldiers could be seen training. Link slowed his pace, allowing the guard to keep up with him with ease.

"We stop here," Buliara commanded. "What are your concerns, Hero? Have you learned of a potential threat?"

"I hate to say this, Buliara, I truly do, but I believe the greatest threat to the Lady may be you." Buliara's eyes flashed with indignance.

"Hero, truly you do not mean to question my ability to protect Lady Riju! I will have you know that I have been by her side day and night for the eighteen years of her life and not a hair on her head has been harmed! Even when the Yiga Clan invaded, I kept her safe above all else, including the Thunder Helm, pride of our people!"

"Yes, Buliara. I know that you have been the most competent guard imaginable for the Lady. However, I believe you are unaware of the toll that it has taken on your health. I've been gone from the town only two years, and you have aged twenty. I fear that the immense physical and psychological taxations of this job have worn you down far beyond what is acceptable for the Lady's safety on perilous journeys like the one you will embark upon tomorrow."

"I will die before harm will come to my chief! I took a blood oath, Link!"

"Yes, you will. I commend your readiness to protect her, but I fear that you alone may not be enough. What if you were ambushed by Yiga on your way through the desert? How many could you fend off? I do not wish to offend you, Buliara, just hear my offer," he pleaded. Buliara calmed herself a moment.

"And what would you propose, Hero?"

"Thank you. I suggest that you allow me to escort Riju whenever necessary. This would include on trips to foreign kingdoms, like tomorrow, or meetings with other groups in Hyrule that she has to leave the town for. You would still make executive decisions regarding her safety within the town walls, and my position would only be utilized in extenuating circumstances. I would likely stay near to Gerudo Town at all times, in case I am needed, and would be able to return here at a moment's notice should trouble befall either Riju or the townsfolk, but my position is mainly as an escort."

"And what, exactly, is your motivation for this? The Gerudo are not your people, Hero."

"All races of Hyrule are my people, Buliara. I care for the maintenance of civilization in this country, and this town is in the most need of my help. Besides, I consider both you and Riju personal friends, and I personally care for your health. If you keep this whole job on your own, I do not think you will live another ten years," he explained solemnly.

"Perhaps you are right, to some extent," Buliara admitted. "I have not been my old self lately. But I cannot entrust this responsibility to anyone freely, Link."

"I did not expect you to. You may recall, if you remember your history lessons from childhood, that I was the royal guard for Princess Zelda. Admittedly, that may not be encouraging, but considering circumstances, I believe that it is a phenomenal track record that she survived the Great Calamity. Furthermore, I served as protection for brief stints throughout my time reclaiming the Divine Beasts for several companions."

"It is impressive, but I have never seen you in action. I will need proof of your skills. It is one thing to take down an especially tough enemy or protect yourself against hordes, but quite another to protect a target while doing the same."

"That's understandable. Might I suggest one more thing?"

"Go ahead."

"I currently am without the Master Sword. I placed it back into its pedestal after defeating Calamity Ganon, thinking I wouldn't have any need for it. I appear to have been incorrect. If you would allow it, I will go get the blade and return tomorrow at daybreak to accompany you and Lady Riju to the negotiations."

"That would work as your audition?"

"I suppose."

"Very well. I know not where you keep the blade, but I suggest you hurry, for I've no doubt it is a long trek from here."

Link laughed. "You underestimate me, Buliara." With a snap, he was gone, blue filaments filtering into the night sky above. Buliara watched as he disappeared, without wonder. She'd seen this trick more than once out of him. Turning around, she sighed melancholically. The Hylian was right; she didn't know how long she could keep up her duties as Riju's bodyguard. She'd already noticed signs of her reflexes slowing down. Although she'd go to her grave before admitting it, she was glad that he'd approached her, as he was the only one in the world she'd truly trust to one day replace her.

Taking post outside of Riju's room, she decided to walk in and take note of the woman she'd helped to raise. "What did you do," Buliara muttered, looking at her sleeping figure, "to deserve _him_?"


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer: I own none of the characters, except for the ones I do.**

Riju was getting impatient. She'd been ready to leave for an hour, hoping to complete as much of the trek as possible before the midday sun really began pounding down on them, but Buliara hadn't been as willing to leave.

"We leave at daybreak," the older Gerudo said for the twentieth time.

"But _why_ , Buliara? We may reach the Sentel Kingdom by nightfall if we leave now, certainly not if we leave at daybreak," Riju protested. "What plagues your mind?"

"You will see," Buliara replied mystically. Although Riju was, technically speaking, her boss, and could simply order her to leave at any time, she had full confidence that this power wouldn't actually be invoked. The sky lightened, and Buliara glared intently at the horizon. The sun would be peeking over soon, and the two would leave without him if need be, but she sincerely hoped that his audition wouldn't start out so dreadfully. Promptly, blue wisps filtered down from the sky to the shrine the two stood beside, and a young man wielding the legendary blade to seal the darkness dropped onto the ground, a fall of roughly two feet.

"Sometimes I get the calibration wrong," Link explained as he stood up, dusting himself off. "You're still here, so I presume I'm not late?"

"Link," Riju exclaimed, surprise replacing the irritation present in her voice just moments before. "What are you doing here?"

Buliara reached down to clasp her Golden Claymore. "We should go."

"I agree," Link said. "I'll run perimeter, within fifty paces at all times. Should you need me, just call." He ran off ahead of the two, leaving them in the dust. Quite literally, as his running kicked up a good amount of lighter sand particles into the air.

Buliara kept looking forward as her principle's eyes bored into the side of her head. "I presume," Riju began distantly, "that you've something to share with me?"

The older Gerudo sighed. "Not yet."

Riju scoffed. "Well, feel free to share with the class whenever you think you should." Buliara didn't even flinch. "I suppose we should go."

The two walked southwest in silence, their eyes following different paths. Buliara carefully scanned the horizon for threats, only blinking for an instant before reverting her gaze. Riju, on the other hand, walked carefree, casually watching Link when he would enter her line of sight. What was he doing here? Why wouldn't Buliara tell her? She supposed it wasn't really a big deal, but Buliara had never withheld anything from her in the past, so her suddenly tight lips only magnified her intrigue. Riju had worried that having to wait for Link would cause the trip to be delayed, but Buliara seemed to be pacing herself to keep as high a speed as was physically possible for her. It worried Riju, just a bit.

About an hour later, Link stopped 50 paces ahead of the pair of Gerudo and waited. They caught up quickly, and Buliara's eyes questioned why the young man had stopped. Quickly, he drew firewood, which he lit by striking a piece of flint with his sword, and a cooking pot. "We've been walking for six hours," he explained. "You both need to eat." Throwing Voltfruit and Hydromelon in the pot, he whipped up two dishes of mixed fruits, which would grant a reprieve from the heat, as well as help to insulate any shocks that either may suffer from electrified creatures.

"How did you manage to get both effects to stick," Riju asked. "Even my own personal chefs can only foster one effect, at best."

"Your chefs haven't had to learn how to cook to survive," Link explained, "when your own life is on the line, you become significantly more resourceful. I learned this particular recipe when I lost my Sheikah Slate in the Faron Woods. It took me three days to find it, and I was left solely to my own wits for that time." Riju grunted her acknowledgment.

"You must be hungry, as well, Hero," Buliara said. "Eat."

Link shook his head. "I've been eating as needed this whole time. Hylians don't have the natural resistance to heat that Gerudo do. I suppose I could just wear better clothing, but I'd be at a disadvantage in combat."

"Indeed," Riju began in a questioning voice, "Hylians cannot survive, without help, long periods in the desert. Which begs the question: why are you here, Link?"

"That's not a question he should answer, my Lady. Like I said before, we've nothing to share. Not yet." Link simply shrugged before standing abruptly.

"We should get going again," he explained. "If our luck holds out, we should be able to make it to Sentel just after nightfall."

Their luck did not hold out. Not even twenty minutes had passed before the hair on the back of Link's neck stood up, his senses heightened, and he slowly closed in toward his two traveling companions. No words were spoken, but the subtle tenseness of Buliara's sword arm sent enough of a message to the trained knight that he knew she appreciated his presence. The two made eye contact, she gave him a nod, and he drew the Master Sword. It glowed with a stunningly pure blue light. Riju took an alarmed step back, but quickly realized that she was in no danger from him as Buliara clamped a hand on her arm to keep her still. The two warriors, weapons drawn, circled her tightly with their backs turned, and she began to realize why, exactly, Link was there. It was midday, but the sky grew dark. Link's eyes widened, and he turned around, grabbing Riju and taking her to the ground. He was just in time, as a massive bolt of lightning shot through the spot she'd just been standing. Her heart pounding, she didn't even notice the thump of her other bodyguard hitting the ground. Adrenalin flooded her system as Link shuffled frantically through his bag for the Thunder Helm. The world came back into focus for her as he slid the ancient headgear onto her head, a small field erupting that would block any further lightning. Now that his principle was safe, he frantically climbed over her to deal with the wounded, drawing her attention to the crumpled body of Buliara. For Riju, the outside world stopped and she threw herself onto the guard who'd served as her mother for the past four years. Her world was shattered.

From Link's perspective, the panicked rush of the past 30 seconds was quickly being replaced by the onset of a deep, deep dread. "Of fucking course," he muttered to himself, "why would I have fairies right now? That would be _far_ too fucking easy." Just before he resigned himself to Buliara's death, he remembered. Two years ago, when he'd liberated the Divine Beast Vah Ruta, he'd been granted a special ability, one that could help him here. Unfortunately, he hadn't had to use the ability in over a year, and was unsure if it was still functioning. No time like the present to find out, though. He grabbed Riju by the shoulder, pulled her up, and looked into her eyes. In this state, she wouldn't hear a single word he said. He shook her, perhaps a little longer than needed, and her delirium snapped. She stared at him, and he shouted over the growing winds. "I need you to make completely certain that my body lands on Buliara. Do you understand?" She was puzzled, but she nodded anyway. He dropped to his knees and plunged the Master Sword into himself, eliciting her scream.

" _What the fuck, Link?_ " For a long moment, she fell into panic again, as she was surrounded by people whose lives were leaking away rapidly. He fell to the side, his body laying limply on the desert ground, gasping.

"Riju," he rasped, "I missed…" What? He missed? What did he mean? For a moment, she didn't remember his instructions. Just then, a blue light glowed on the horizon. She squinted her eyes, trying to recognize what it was, and when it came into focus, the figure was a ghostly Zora. As the figure approached, it became clear that the Zora was just a child.

"How," Riju began through tears.

"I think you're forgetting something," the Zora girl said in an ethereal voice. "Try to remember, Riju." Quickly, his words returned to her mind, and she snapped to move his body, avoiding the empty gaze of his glassy eyes. "Thank you," the unnamed newcomer said regally. Walking, or floating, rather, to Link's body, she inspected his wounds. "Ah, that's easy." She then turned to Riju. "I'll require your help with this, to a large degree." The stunned Gerudo nodded in response. "See the sword? It's hard to miss; sticking right into his chest? I need you to pull that out for me. I promise, I've got no reason to kill Link, this is solely necessary so he doesn't have a sword in his chest for the rest of his life."

Riju obliged, but asked, "Who are you?"

The Zora chuckled. "My name is Mipha. Ask Link about me, when he's done with this whole mess."

"What do you mean, done with this?"

"Well, I assume that when he gets back up, he'll be busy killing _that_ thing." Mipha gestured to a dark figure in the clouds above. "Nasty bastard." She turned back to the body, stretching her shoulders and cracking her knuckles. "Stand back." A burst of white light shot from the wound as the Zora pressed her hands to hit, and he snapped up, gasping. Her arms phased through his chest. "Sit back down," she snapped. "I'm not done." Link complied, and a few moments later the Zora moved to the second body. "This is the one you wanted?"

"Yes," Link said.

"Alright." Mipha inspected the body, floating over it to inspect. "This one might be a little rough. I can guarantee you that she'll _live_ , but nothing more."

"That's all we need," Link assured.

Riju was completely lost throughout this. "Um, Link," she began, "I think we need to talk."

"Wait," he commanded. "It's best not to distract Mipha."

"I found it," Mipha called. "Turn her head sideways." Link complied. "No, Link, the other side," she barked. Link complied once again. "This is serious brain damage. I'm not sure how much I can do." Immediately, she plunged her hands into Buliara's skull. "Hold her down," she commanded. "There will be twitching." Another bolt of lightning slammed down, but the Thunder Helm deflected it.

"Take the arms," Link told Riju, "and I'll take the legs."

"How the hell are you so calm in all this?"

"A lot of people have died around me," he responded matter-of-factly. "It loses its shock value." The two then pinned Buliara's limbs to the ground as Mipha worked. It took twelve minutes, and Riju was exhausted afterwards, as the Gerudo woman was in exceptional shape.

"Alright," Mipha sighed. "My work here is done. The nerve endings are as fixed as they can be, but that was exceptionally high voltage, and the damage will be permanent. Memory loss should be minimal, cognitive functions were hardly touched, and she'll retain motor control. It won't be nearly what it once was, but she'll live. However, the damage to her heart was excessive. Any high-stress situation is a big no-no, and excess physical activity should be avoided at all costs."

"Thank you, Mipha," Link said. "I have one last request."

"What is it?"

"Will you stay here for a moment, with Riju? I need to take Buliara back to Gerudo Town."

"I will, but you do know there's someone she'd probably rather see, don't you?"

"Fair." Link unsheathed the Master Sword, swung it roughly 120 degrees clockwise, and held it there. A greenly-lit figure descended from the clouds. It was a Gerudo woman. "Hello, Urbosa," Link said. "This is Riju."

"Hell, just bring the whole gang," Mipha said. Link grunted, exerted himself in various ways, and two more spirits appeared, one Rito and one Goron.

"I'll be back momentarily," Link explained. "I have some pressing matters to attend to, but in the meantime, make sure nothing happens to Riju, please." The four Champions gave various affirmations, and Link slammed a medallion into the ground before turning to Buliara. He flung the unconscious woman over his shoulder. "I'll be right back," he told Riju. "Just a few moments. Acquaint yourself with these four; I have a feeling you'll be seeing more of them in the future." He hammered something into his Sheikah Slate, dissolved into blue wisps, and flew off, taking Buliara with him.

"The whole gang's back together," the Goron bellowed, laughing heartily. "It's been far too long. As for you, ma'am, my name is Daruk, and, one-hundred years ago, I was the Goron Champion."

"You… were a Champion," Riju muttered in awed disbelief. "But all the Champions died in the Great Calamity!"

"Well, we seem to have interesting ways of getting around that," the Rito mused. "The name's Revali, by the way."

"Aye," the Gerudo said. "Link took a nap for the whole time, Zelda prayed, and we couldn't move on. Our spirits hadn't finished our jobs."

"But," Riju began, still unconvinced, "if you couldn't pass onto the next life because your jobs were unfinished here, why are you still here? Calamity Ganon was slain, two years ago."

"Well," Mipha answered, "each of us tied our souls to Link, so that, should he ever need us, we could help in his fight against Calamity Ganon."

"We didn't realize that it would continue after he'd finished his job," Urbosa explained. "But here we still are, and I suppose it was for a reason. You two seem to be in quite the situation." She gestured out to the dark sky and the storms that had formed at a moment's notice. "And I do suppose that we'll likely see more of you than either of us had originally expected. So it's good that you become acquainted with us now."

Link reappeared on the ground and immediately began barking orders. "Mipha, stay here with Riju. If she gets hit, it's your job to put the pieces back together." She nodded. "Revali, Daruk, Urbosa, on me. You know your jobs." He bent down to pick up the medallion, and the blue imprint it had left vanished. He flashed Riju a quick smile as the three spirits vanished and, relatedly, tiny flames danced around his feet and legs. "I'll do my best to keep this quick," he said before launching into the sky.

In the years since he'd gained the power of Revali, Link had learned to master the skies without the king's glider, and he was now taking advantage of his time training. "I can give you thirty minutes," the Rito said. Link nodded as he burst into the open sky, shooting through the clouds to the layer above, where the monster who'd been causing so much trouble was flying. Once he burst through the upper cloud layer, the beast he saw was terrifying. A skeletal version of the dragon Farosh was encircling Riju's position, generating massive storms and shooting bolts of unholy electricity. A frothy black substance floated down from the monster's mouth, horns, and the two glowing red dots it seemed to use as eyes. The creature quickly noticed Link, roared, and made a beeline for him. He quickly evaded, flying as close to the beast as was safe to inspect it for weaknesses, but found none. Giving up, he drew his bow and notched an ancient arrow, taking aim at the center of the beast's spine before loosing the destructive arrow. The blue light faded to reveal a significant chunk of bone missing, but not enough to have done any real damage. However, his attack _did_ get the beast's attention, and it kicked at him. Daruk's bubble of protection flashed at the last second, saving his life, before it faded back into the air.

After three more shots, Urbosa called out to Link. "This isn't working," she shouted over the wind and thunder.

"I don't have a better alternative," Link grunted back, loosing another arrow.

"Actually," Urbosa said, "I may have an idea. If you get the beast to shoot lighting at you, I may be able to redirect it back into its face."

"How would that work?"

"Keep still just long enough for it to get a bead on you. I can monitor when it's electricity is beginning to peak and tell you to be ready. Be sure to have the bolt hit your blade, and with a spin, I can send it back in the thing's direction! I think."

"And if it doesn't work, I can shield you," Daruk added. "Probably."

"Do we have anything better than probably," Link asked.

"Not unless you want to ask _her_ ," Revali replied.

"No. No, that's- _she's_ out of the question," Link said. "Your idea it is, Urbosa. Let's hope this works!" Link ceased evading, floating completely stilly in midair. The dragon took a wide angle to turn and face him from a few hundred paces away. Static crackled through the air, energy being drawn from the individual atoms around him, and sparks began shooting between the beast's horns. Much like the sequence Vah Ruta underwent when firing at Calamity Ganon, electric energy shot from each horn inward, forming a ball of electricity that the dragon would use to turn Link into a crisp. The beast reared its head, roared, and released billions of volts toward the Hylian. Unflinching, Link took the Master Sword in two hands, the blade doing its best to absorb the electricity, and swung, as if he were holding a Lynel Crusher.

On the ground below, Riju and Mipha watched the clouds above anxiously. Lightning occasionally flashed, illuminating the two figures doing battle above, if only for an instant. But this time, the blast was especially intense, and Mipha muttered, "What the hell are you doing, Link?", making Riju even more nervous.

"Damn it," she shouted. "Why can't I do more to help?"

"It's alright," Mipha replied soothingly, "the only reason he can do battle with this is because the Goddess chose him from birth for these tasks. Besides, he's battled bigger bastards than this one before and come out on top." Riju grunted, still unhappy. A ball of light formed in the sky above, a deadly cocoon of electricity. A massive crack, the shot hitting its mark, the Hero spinning in the sky above. Mipha fell deathly quiet, and Riju couldn't avert her eyes. Just when they feared all was lost, the voice of a woman uttered a mighty shout in the sky above, and the light fired back at the beast. Seconds later, a massive jaw plummeted from the clouds, burying itself in the ground. The enormous beast screeched.

In the sky above, Link uttered a cry of utter joy; the risky strategy had paid off, as the beast was recoiling in pain. Urbosa called, exhausted, "Another hit like that should do the thing in!"

"No," Link responded. "You couldn't last through another turn of that." He thought frantically, before looking at his blade as an ancient voice whispered to him.

 _"Remember,"_ it whispered. _"Master Link… remember… Demise…"_

Suddenly, a wave of knowledge struck him, as he remembered an ancient fact; so ancient it had almost been forgotten by time. The first ever Hero, the Hero of Sky and Land, had done battle with the Demon King, Demise, in a land of unknowable perils and storms. The Demon King had the upper hand, but the Master Sword had called the power of the storm and the sky to gain the power to defeat the original evil. "That's it," Link muttered. Then, shouting over the wind, "Urbosa! I need your strength one more time!"

"I'm here, Hero."

"I need you to unleash your fury upon the Master Sword."

"As you wish," she said, and it was done. Link held the blade skyward, and it was enveloped by an ancient light, buried for eons, and struck by Urbosa's Fury. The blade absorbed the shock, retaining the electricity, and Link flew forward through the sky.

"I can only hold you for five more minutes," Revali called wearily. Link wouldn't need that much. Getting up close and personal with the beast, he moved faster than it could react. The Master Sword had never been stronger, even in the battle against Calamity Ganon, as it cut through the horns and joints of the great beast, sending it plummeting to the ground in seconds. Link followed it down, and just after it hit the ground, he plunged the blade into its skull, killing it.

The spirits of the four Champions appeared once more, each one wincing in exhaustion. "Thank you all," Link said. "You have done well, and I invite you to return to rest once more." Three vanished instantly, but Urbosa remained, staring at Riju.

"You have done well," she said. "I am proud of you, as are all your ancestors. But I have one thing to ask of you."

"What is it, ancient one?"

"The Divine Beast, Vah Nabooris. It holds many secrets. Find them and our race will prosper, and you will be written forever into the annals of history."

"Thank you, Champion."

"I am proud of you, my kin. We all are." With that, Urbosa was gone.


	3. Chapter 3

**Author's note: what's poppin jimbos, here's chapter 3, hope you enjoy. Be sure to go sub and then unsub to Jake Paul on youtube. Also leave a review, but that's relatively less important than the other thing.**

"Who is he?"

Riju sighed. She should've foreseen that Link might run into trouble with the entry guards at Sentel. "He's my acting security," she explained. "We ran into trouble along the way and Buliara is no longer fit for duty."

The brawny guards bellowed laughter. "This runt is your bodyguard?" Riju tightened her fists and eyelids, trying to drown out the waves of testosterone-laden stupidity the two emanated. Just before she could pop off, Link grabbed her hand, surprising her. The Gerudo chieftain's attention on him, he wordlessly shook his head, and she let it go.

"Indeed, he is, and we'll be on our way, if it's not a threat to your fragile masculinity, we'll be on our way. We've a meeting with your king." Riju regally walked through the city gates, her guard in lockstep. The larger of the bodyguards dared to glance after her, his eyes hungry for the figure of the Gerudo woman, and was repaid with the blinding light of a Deku Nut. It wouldn't do any permanent damage, but if he could see for the next six hours, it'd be surprising. Riju giggled as he cried out in pain behind them. "Thank you," she said to Link.

"Any time," he responded, amused himself. The two walked through the bustling main street, making a beeline for the adobo hut that Sentel Kingdom called its castle. The city was far more alive than any part of Hyrule, drawing some measure of sadness from Link, as it reminded him of Hyrule Castle Town, from the days before. He suppressed it, though, focusing on keeping his new employer alive.

The walk to the castle was uneventful; Sentel citizens placed an extreme value on courtesy and lawfulness, and foreigners were largely expected to act the same. Link realized he'd broken this rule at the gate, but the guard had deserved it, he would apologize if need be, and, most importantly, no one had seen it. Once they'd reached the foyer of the castle, Riju was greeted enthusiastically by a young man, not much older than Link. His skin was a dark brown, melding perfectly with the emerald hue of his eyes. He wore clothes of a style Link was unfamiliar with, but were quite obviously expensive. What he was familiar with was the ornate jewelry he wore, with sapphires cut as beautifully as anywhere Link had ever seen, including the royalties of the Hyrulean factions. The man's smile revealed two rows of well-kept, pearly-white teeth.

"Why, hello, Lady Riju of the Gerudo," he began. "It is lovely to see you again, I pray your trek went smoothly?" Link coughed, covering a laugh, getting the man's attention. Gesturing toward the Hylian, he said, "Do pardon, Lady, but might I ask who your companion is? We expected you to be accompanied by the esteemed Buliara, but I understand that she has not been seen with you."

"Greetings, Prince Salim. Buliara is unable to join us, as our trip was far from peaceful. She was critically wounded in battle along the way. We were lucky Link, my companion, was there; he saved both of our lives," Riju explained.

"Ah," Salim intoned solemnly. He turned his head back to Link and quickly gave a small bow. Link was obviously taken aback, as he'd expected the honor to be paid in the other direction, prompting the prince to explain. "In our culture, warriors are respected above all else. Even royalty must pay our dues to those who keep us in power."

"I need no thanks," Link protested.

Riju cut him off, "Link deserves more thanks than any of us could ever grant him. If you remember the history of our people's interactions, you will be well familiar with the Great Calamity?"

"Aye," Salim affirmed.

"Link was the one to bring it to an end. As Hyrule is a largely unpopulated land now, he has not received the thanks and congratulations becoming of him."

"We must rectify this, at once! I will not have such an esteemed guest go untreated in my own kingdom!" Salim clapped his hands, and three men rushed into the room, alert. He addressed each, from left to right. "Mul, inform the chefs that a feast is to be prepared in our guests' honor. Farran, make certain that our finest musicians are well prepared for tonight's festivities. Grant, alert the populace that tonight is a night of celebration!" The three men gave their various affirmations and ran out to perform their tasks. He then turned back to Riju. "Lady, tonight is to be a celebration. I hope it may be not only for your quite accomplished friend, but also a new era of prosperity, shared between our civilizations."

"I as well. Shall we begin?"

"There is one problem, Lady, and I hope it can be easily resolved."

"What is it," Riju enquired.

"I presume that Link is not a Gerudo of high authority?" Riju confirmed this. "Then he cannot be allowed into the negotiations."

"Lady Riju's safety is my personal responsibility," Link said. "I will not let her out of my sight."

"I'm afraid, sir, that there is no alternative. Information of the highly sensitive and classified variety will soon be discussed," Salim apologized. "While I do wish to make an exception, such things are norms that are better not questioned. For example, I trust you to be an exceptional warrior. With knowledge of a tiny sliver of weakness, you could take down much or all of Sentel's entire army, singlehandedly. Of course, I do not mean to insult by questioning your motivations, but, as a man responsible for lives, myself, I must take all possibilities resulting in endangering my people as a certainty. You do not need to be involved in these discussions of trade and military, for the agreement to be made, therefore I must request that you find some other way to spend your time here. This was why Riju and Buliara were agreed upon as the Gerudo delegation."

"He's right, Link," Riju muttered.

"Alright. I'll be back momentarily." Link flipped the same medallion onto the floor as before, whipped out his Sheikah Slate, and disappeared into the sky, leaving Salim floored.

"Do the Hylians truly possess such technology to disappear into the sky at a whim?!"

"No, just Link."

"You must tell me more about this Link. He becomes more fascinating by the instant. How did you come to have him as your bodyguard?"

"Buliara is getting old. I have no idea why he decided that I was particularly worth protecting, but I appreciate it. He is outstanding in every applicable way, and I enjoy his company personally, as well."

Salim raised his hand to his chin, gently stroking the light facial hair that had grown since he last shaved, and gave a far-away yet piercing stare. After a moment of absorbing the minute details of the Gerudo woman's face and considering his interactions with the Hylian, the light of recognition flashed in his eyes, a small _I-know-something-you-don't-yet_ grin spread across his face, and he intoned, "Ah. I see."

Just before Riju could voice a comment about his strange behavior, two figures formed out of blue filaments. Link was in the process of lecturing Buliara, and the two royals caught, "…and you are not to in any fashion add to these discussions. Riju's safety is your only concern." Buliara was clearly tuning him out, but nodded until he'd shut up. Turning to the Sentel and Gerudo leaders, he explained, "You said Buliara would be able to participate in these talks, so I got Buliara."

"You must share this technology, Link," Salim exclaimed. "The ability to travel vast distances in an instant would be immensely useful to our people!"

"I'm afraid I have no idea how this works," Link truthfully explained, "and no way to find out," he lied, thinking of the two Sheikah workshops on the coast of Hyrule.

"A tragedy, that such powers exist, yet are untamable by modern man."

"Indeed. Now, do I just twiddle my thumbs for the rest of the night, or do you have a suggestion for how I spend my time while you two figure out the specifics of this policy?"

"Ah, yes. I have been in your presence for quite some time, now, Link, and I am overwhelmed by your aura; it feels as if you have the power of not one spirit, but as many as six, each far stronger than any human today!"

"Six? Five makes sense, but not six."

"That you have the spirit of five is quite obvious for any who has come into contact with the metaphysical realm, but the sixth is far more nuanced. I also can feel a heavenly presence, watching over you at all times." The latter statement clearly troubled Link. "I would suggest a meeting with our shamans, in the castle library. They are our land's most attuned with the world beyond our own fingertips, and I believe they may be able to help you. Inform them also that I grant you access to all our prophecies. There are many, and even if the words of the shamans themselves cannot provide help to you, I believe that our ancient texts might." Link nodded, turned a 180, and left. After he was gone, the prince continued, "I didn't tell him where to go…"

"He'll find it," Buliara said, gruffly.

"He's done harder things," Riju agreed.

Link could not find it. He spent upwards of thirty minutes exploring the castle, looking for anything resembling the royal libraries he'd seen in the past, and failing miserably. Just as he was preparing to give up and spend some rupees at a street vendor, a man in a brownish-grayish robe ran into him.

"Sorry," Link said just after bumping into him.

"All is forgiven," the man assured. He flashed a soft smile. "You seem lost. Might I help you?"

"Yeah, that'd be perfect, actually. Prince Salim said that I should head to the library and meet with the shamans while I waited for the negotiations to finish up, but I haven't been able to find either."

The man chuckled. "I suppose it lucky that we have met, as I know exactly where to take you. The gods truly have a plan for us all, do they not?"

"Tell me about it," Link grumbled.

"Follow me, sir." The taller Sentel man had to duck his head a bit to get through the arch of the doorways. "Our people used to be much shorter, back when this castle was built," he explained, just making small talk along the way, "Prince Salim has spoken many times of renovating this building, but we tell him, 'no, Prince, it is too ancient; the gods themselves have blessed these walls'. Thus far, he has been willing to listen, but I fear he is straying too far from our religion." Link didn't have a good response, so they walked in silence the rest of the way. Abruptly, the man stopped. "Here we are," he exclaimed, peering out into an empty room.

"Are you sure we're supposed to be here? There aren't any books, or scrolls, or anything that I would expect from a library."

"Ah, Link, but there are-" the man was cut off.

"How do you know my name?"

"I am the last of the Sentel shamans, Link," the man explained. "I know the names and pasts of all those I meet. With a little help from the spiritual realm, I may also know their futures."

"The last of the shamans? What happened to the others? What is your name? Who are you?"

"I do not have a name. It is customary among our people to cede all signifiers of self before joining. The others have all long since passed, hundreds of years ago. I am all that remains of a dying religion. Prince Salim has continued hundreds of years of moving our kingdom into secularism, and the role of the shamans have faded over time. I am the last that remains, and I fear that, once I am gone, the gods of our people will be gone forever."

"I'm sorry to hear that you've lost people."

"Death is unavoidable, Link. You know this as well as anyone. Come with me, I have much to share with you." The shaman escorted Link to a small, bird-fountain-like object in the middle of the room, filled to the brim with a bubbling, brown liquid that gave off a sickly-sweet scent. The shaman drew two goblets from his robe, dipped both into the liquid, and offered Link the cup in his left hand. "Gods bless," he said.

"What is it?"

"This is a ceremonial drink, which opens the senses of those who drink it to the realms beyond our own. Drink it, and we will begin." Link shrugged; after all, he had nothing to lose, and the man had been nice enough thus far. He brought it to his lips, and tilted bottom-up. The effects were immediate. A wave of dizzy stars, like a head rush, entered his field of view, and he lost balance, falling backward. The shaman gave him a hand, and once his vision returned to normal, he was astounded by the splendor of the library before his eyes. Walls full of books, scrolls, and other ancient passages stretched into the sky, far further than the confines of the room he'd just been in would allow. The simple robe of the shaman was replaced by a blinding white tunic and trousers of a royal purple. Golden jewelry adorned his neck, ears, and wrists, and his eyes, which had already been a shocking blue, now seemed to go miles deep, and Link swore he could see galaxies when gazing into them.

"What is this place," he asked.

"This is the library of the gods. We are no longer in the world you have previously lived in, but not in any heaven, yet, either. If you will, imagine the world as a set of cards. At the top of the stack lies heaven, at the bottom, hell. And right in the middle, the world in which we live. These three cards hold the most significance to us, as mortals, but there are, of course, many, many more cards than three in a deck, are there not? The closer the cards are to the top, the holier the realm. This world is the third card from the top. It is the highest realm any human can achieve without dying, and the only world which lies barren."

"Barren? What do you mean? There must be thousands of books here, if not millions!"

"But no life. This world was locked away from the gods when my ancestors first accidentally reached it, many thousands of years ago. We do not let just any traveler enter, either; the secrets which we have uncovered here, should they fall into the wrong hands, would unravel worlds and challenge the gods themselves."

"So why bring me here?"

"I know you mean no harm to the world, Link. Your aura, or should I say, auras are that of a protector of what your goddess holds dear. This world holds immense value to you, as, while we are here, the voices of gods can be read plain from these pages. Every being who has ever lived has had their story written and stored in this chamber, including you. Our task now is to find your scroll."

The pair searched for hours on end, poring through shelf after shelf, countless shelves full of countless texts demarcating countless lives, before Link finally loosed the scroll of his own life. "I found it," he called to the shaman.

"Bring it here! I shall read what your goddess has written for you." Link complied, and after fumbling for a moment, the shaman found the seal to the scroll which Link's soul had been inscribed upon. "These runes, they hold true power. Your soul, intertwined with the ancient one…"

"The ancient one? Do you mean… her?"

"I know not which her you speak of, Link, but this power is of a time long forgotten. Allow me a moment, this spirit guards the entryway to your fate." The shaman took a long moment to breathe, shut his eyes, and thrust his hands onto the scroll. Orange waves emanated from the man's hands, heading toward the scroll. Just as they made contact, bright blue light shot out of the binds of the ancient text, and the scroll began to levitate. The shaman was obviously struggling, and the text seemed to win the battle. With a snap, the blue light flashed through the whole room, and the shaman staggered backward, defeated. "The spirit which guards you," he said, panting, "it has the power of the gods. I have never felt anything like it. Do you, perhaps, recognize this light?"

"I…"

 _"Remember… Master Link… remember… there is much unfinished yet…"_

"I think I do," he whispered. He was caught up in thought, whispers of a distant recollection nipping at the corners of his mind. He was so close, he felt, to understanding it all, if he could only scratch this itch…

Unconsciously, his left hand had made its way to the Master Sword. Without even recognizing it, he was wielding the ancient blade, pointing its tip to the scroll. Only when the shaman cleared his throat, ripping Link out of his own head, did he realize what he was doing. "Remember," he muttered. "Remember." Still not truly thinking about his actions, he touched the blade to the scroll, and the blue light burst into corporeality.

The body of light danced around the vast cavity of the library, spinning circles, hopping and skipping, and an ancient music sounded. The harp. The location suddenly shifted, and Link stood alone in the center of another room. Near-tangible darkness surrounded him for a moment, before the floor below him lit up, a watery blue. The next things to appear were three golden triangles around him, followed quickly by a single, marbled-white triangle right below his feet. Then, six pillars appeared from the darkness around him, each a different color. All six stood empty. Finally, the sound of a harp began behind him. Link spun 360 degrees to see a figure, floating in front of him. The figure was humanlike in shape, but the similarities ended there. Its face was like a sculpture, human yet unblinking. It had bright blue skin and wore a cape, split down the middle between bright blue and purple. Just below the cape was a shirt of the same purple, and a large diamond was set in its chest. It stared at Link, and Link stared back. Several long seconds passed before it bowed its head slightly and turned to the side, revealing a pedestal containing a sword made of light.

"What? Do you want me to pull it out," Link asked incredulously. The being only stared. He shrugged, walked over to it, grasped it, and yanked it out of the ground.

Immediately, the creature intoned, _"Master Link. The one chosen by my creator. I have been waiting for you."_

"Who are you?"

 _"My name is Fi. We have met before, twelve million, four-hundred thousand, three-hundred and three years, four months, twelve days, fourteen minutes, and thirty-three seconds ago._

 **AN: sorry for nothing really HAPPENING in the chapter. I needed to set this up to go where I want it to go, and planned to write more, but didn't really have the opportunity to while still keeping the once-per-week schedule I laid out for myself. Hope you enjoy it anyway, and I promise that the next will be more substantive.**

 **~~~Caleb**


	4. Chapter 4

**note from the author:**

not sure if anyone's still paying attention to this fic. if you're not, i can't say i blame you; i took like 5 months off of it. sorry about that. mental problems, school, and debate took up so much of my attention that i completely forgot about it. however, i'm going to be posting updates to it fairly soon. if you vibe w/ that, coolio, i appreciate you. if not, i still appreciate you.

tl;dr: i'm writing new shit for this soon, keep tuned in if you want to see it.

~~c


	5. Chapter 5

**AN: i have between 5 and 7 more chapters planned for this, and hopefully i'll have the whole thing wrapped up by late february or early march. for those of you who've stuck around from back when i first started this, welcome back, i did not die. for the new ones, hi, hope you enjoy it. reviews, follows, faves, whatever you want to do is very much appreciated.**

The illusion faded, and Link, the shaman, and the new spirit stood alone in the library of the gods once more.

"And, with that, the sixth spirit rejoins with its five companions," the shaman intoned with a slight chuckle. "Well, Link, I still do not know your future, but I know you have taken the last step toward it today. Do you feel any more fulfilled?"

Link looked over toward the spirit that called him its master, and realized that the itch he'd felt just moments earlier had been satisfied. "Fi..." he mumbled to himself, a memory of a time long forgotten reaching the back of his mind. He'd met this spirit before, every time he'd unsheathed the Master Sword, yes, but also long before that...

 _A sea of clouds, the feel of the wind through a boy's hair as he clutched for dear life on the back of a massive bird, the species long since lost to this world..._

 _A dark dream, the daughter of the Goddess falling into the mouth of a long-lost evil..._

 _A mad dash through a blessed island, following the floating dream itself..._

 _A hilt in between two strong hands..._

 _A flash of light..._

 _A fate locked in..._

 _A cycle begun..._

 _A fall beneath the impenetrable clouds unto a forest told of only in myths..._

 _A scorching heat burning at the boy's back..._

 _A sense of failure as the first Sheikah stole away with the Goddess's blood..._

 _A cursed temple, an ancient automaton, a burning, green flame..._

 _A sea of sand, the sun pounding down upon the back of an ancient hero's neck; the first ancient hero, on the first of his soul's great many adventures..._

 _A blade reborn in the third of three flames..._

 _A battle for the future of the world itself..._

 _A blade through the heart of evil..._

 _A servant turned friend sacrificing itself for the good of the world..._

Link hadn't realized he'd shut his eyes until he reopened them, escaping from the memories of a life he'd never lived. "I-"

The chosen hero's thoughts were interrupted before he could begin to voice them by a crashing sound emanating throughout the library. Fi snapped to attention, a light behind her eyes acting quickly to analyze the situation as the shaman fell into a battling stance. Link began to draw his blade when a deep, dark mist flooded the library. It worked slowly but devastatingly, millennia of knowledge lost to its all-consuming expansion. At the sight of it, Fi whipped to face Link, and in her metallic voice began, "Master Link, I detect a 99.8% chance that my revival brought about a calamitous occurrence in this plane."

The shaman snapped his head toward the ancient spirit and her liege, and shouted to Link, "Run, Hero! Run from here and never look back!" With those words, Fi snapped herself into the Master Sword as a flurry of orange particles swirled at Link's feet. The hero recognized the feeling of a transformation into the easily disseminated particles that the Sheikah Slate used to transport him, and before the shaman could send him out, he shouted to him.

"Wait," he called. The transformation paused momentarily. "What about you? I can help you fight this!" The shaman merely chuckled, and the transportation spell continued its work. The last Link saw of the old man was a satisfied smile, and he knew that, although the shaman's life had ended, he was fulfilled.

Link reformed in the room he'd been in before drinking the liquid that had transported him into the library of the gods, but something was different. Rather than the hushed aura that had previously pervaded the small room, there was now a strange kind of instability that chewed at the edges of Link's conscience. The fountain at the center of the room was now empty, as well, and Link took a moment to mourn for the loss of the shaman, but only a moment. Quickly, the Hylian remembered that he'd been in this city for a reason, and ran off to find Riju. Sprinting through the hallways of the castle, Link thanked the gods for his foresight in improving his stamina over the past few years. Even at the height of his power before defeating Ganon, he'd have had to stop several times to catch his breath in the labyrinth that was the hallways of the Sentel castle. By pure luck, he reached the throne room after just a couple of minutes. As he burst through the doors, he was quickly stopped by a clique of royal guards.

"Hands up, trespasser!" Link complied, but he didn't meet the eyes of his captor, instead electing to keep scanning the room for the Gerudo Chieftain. She was nowhere to be seen. "Explain yourself," the guard leader's gruff voice demanded.

Breathlessly, Link replied. "Gerudo delegation. Looking for Lady Riju. Urgent message for her. Where would she be?"

"Those are hefty claims, foreigner. Give me one reason I should believe you, and not just take you captive as a threat to the Sentel state here and now."

A sly chuckle sounded from behind the group, and a familiar voice sounded. "And what exactly, is happening here," Prince Salim asked. The leader of the guard snapped to attention, while the other three kept the Hylian intruder at spearpoint.

"Prince Salim," the leader began respectfully. "This foreigner burst into the throne room just moments ago. He claims to be of the Gerudo delegation, but we are unsure of his truthfulness and intentions. As he is heavily armed, we consider him a massive threat to the kingdom."

A female voice entered the conversation just a moment later. "Yes," Riju muttered, "I suppose Link could be a threat. He could be the biggest threat your kingdom will have ever faced, if you force him to be, but he comes in peace." Addressing Prince Salim now, she demanded, "My esteemed companion, have your guards unhand my companion, this instant."

"Of course, Lady Riju," Salim responded. "You heard her, boys. You've done your job well, but this man is no threat to us."

Link slowly put his hands back down as the guards backed off slowly. Through pants, he turned to look at Riju. "Lady Riju," he began.

"Riju will do just fine, Link," she responded.

"Riju, then. We need to return to the Gerudo Town as soon as possible. Where is Buliara?"

Salim's brow furrowed. "But, Link," he cautioned. "Our peoples are quite near a trade deal that will usher in an era of prosperity not seen for decades! This occasion should not be postponed for any reason that is not incredibly urgent."

"I promise you, Prince," Link said, regaining his breath, "that this is of the utmost urgency. If I may have a word alone with Riju?"

"I suppose it wouldn't be the worst thing," Salim allowed. "Please make it swift, though. I cannot stress how important this deal is to both of our peoples." The Hylian nodded in thanks, took Riju's hand, and led her into a quiet hallway, the Sentel leader's eyes following the both of them the whole way.

"What is it, Link?"

"I was in the library of the gods," he explained, "with the Sentel shaman. We found the scroll containing the text of my life, I did something, and the spirit of the Master Sword awoke. But just after that, a strange, dark, all-consuming mist began to filter into the library, and now, wherever I go in this castle, there's an evil overtone eating just at the edge of my vision. This is bad, Riju, very bad."

"But you can keep us safe, can you not, Link?"

"I... don't know. Whatever this is, it just woke up, and it's already at the strength of Calamity Ganon, and growing stronger every second. We need to get out of here, ASAP."

Riju took a moment to think to herself, her eyes wide, with a hint of fear expertly concealed beneath the hand she placed over her mouth. She'd looked like this before, Link realized, back when the Gerudo Town had been at the whim of the Divine Beast. "Do you really mean this, Link? That the Calamity has returned? If so, we must return to the Town immediately. There are... procedures that must be set into motion. Safety measures, concerning the continuation of the Gerudo civilization itself."

"I'm afraid that this makes the Calamity look like a Lizalfo raid, Riju."

"Goddess help us..." Riju took another second to consider. "Very well. Let us go, then. Buliara stayed at the negotiating table, we should get her and then make our way back to the Gerudo Town immediately."

Prince Salim cleared his throat from behind the two. "I'm afraid," he began, "that I cannot just let you leave. I am incredibly sorry for whatever trouble this may cause, but my kingdom cannot survive without the trade that this agreement will provide. Guards, take Link captive. Lady Riju, you will come with me." Immediately, Link unsheathed the Master Sword, calling upon the spirits of the fallen champions. He'd fight his way out if he had to. "Oh, Link," Salim groaned, "please do not make this difficult. My guards are the best trained in all the world, and have been since the fall of Hyrule, over 100 years ago. I assure you that you will not be victorious in man-to-man combat against them."

With that, Fi emerged from the holy blade. "I calculate a 82% chance that you will be victorious in this battle, master."

"Well, Salim," Link grunted. "I suppose you should know that I'm over 100 years old." Salim's eyes widened in surprise, and Link spun toward the nearest guard. With a single strike, the Hylian warrior snapped the spear brandished by the Sentel man into three pieces. The heavily-armored man was shocked, and Link took the instant of surprise to knock his shield against the guard's left leg, knocking him onto the floor and placing the tip of the Master Sword at his throat. In less than two seconds, Link had disarmed and defeated the man. "Stay down," he growled. Turning to the other five guards, Link said, "I'll spare the lives of anyone who stands down right now. If you choose to throw your life away, that's your problem, but I assure you that Riju, Buliara, and I will leave this town without a scratch." The five looked at each other, unsure for a few moments.

"Well, you idiots," Salim yelled, "what are you waiting on?! He's only one man, take him down!" The guards were knocked out of their momentary shock and nodded. One ran off to sound the alarms, but the other four threw themselves at the Hylian man. Link smiled to himself. He'd hoped for a fight; it was where he was truly comfortable.

Before the first guard he'd disarmed could become a problem, Link kicked backwards, knocking him out cold. Quickly sizing up his opponents, he saw that the man on the far left was clearly less sure in himself than the other three were, and like a fox pouncing upon a hesitant bunny, the Hylian warrior snapped toward him. Brandishing the Master Sword more like a knife than a broadsword, he closed the short distance separating the two in an instant, sliding onto his knees and leaning backward to dodge a spear swung at his chest. From his now-lowered position, he brought his shield to the kneecap of the man in much the same fashion of the first disarmament. The larger man crumpled. Link slid the sword across the man's chest, not deep enough to kill him, but a severe wound nonetheless. _One down, three to go_. The nearest man had hurled his spear at Link's position on the ground. Reacting quickly, the hero called upon Revali's Gale, the updraft catching Link's back, sending him in a front-flip, eight feet into the air. The green-clad man then leaned forward in a way he'd practiced hundreds of times on bands of roaming Bokoblins; just enough to send him hurtling toward his foe without losing control. The guard learned that a 180-pound man flying at your head is an easy way to lose consciousness, especially when the airborne subject hits your head with the flat edge of a broadsword.

Their two comrades incapacitated, perhaps mortally, in less than ten seconds, the two remaining guards decided to approach the situation slightly differently. Carefully keeping their eyes on the Hylian, they split up, surrounding him on both his right and left side. To their surprise, he sheathed his sword and laid his shield against his back in its resting position. Taking what appeared to be a free kill, the two simultaneously charged at the hero. Their mistake. Link, brandishing a bow he'd taken off of his last Silver Lynel kill, nocked an ancient arrow in a split second. Back-flipping to avoid the blast, he loosed the arrow. The bow worked its magic. Five blasts of blue light later, the attacking men were no more. They weren't dead, but instead transported into a parallel dimension, where they would live out the rest of their lives having never known that they'd been transported.

Link turned to Salim. "Prince Salim," he began, a bit of respect still in his voice, "you told me earlier that your culture respects warriors. Prove it to them by not throwing their lives away. I have not yet killed a man today, but if you force me to, I will decimate your army until a passing wind could blow the remains of this civilization over."

"Very well," Salim responded, his voice shaking in terror. "Take your people and go. Lady Riju, we may continue these negotiations at a later date, but without him."

"That's a bit of a deal-breaker," Riju responded. "We'll be on our way. I imagine Buliara heard the commotion and is currently on her way."

Eighteen Hours Later:

The Gerudo Town was on emergency lockdown, no one allowed in or out. A state of emergency was underway, and the Chief's voice had been so urgent at the gate that none had so much as dared to question the voe that had accompanied her into the town. Riju, Buliara, and the top Gerudo military advisers were huddled around the table in the secret war room under the castle, listening to Link reiterating his experience in the library of the gods for the third time.

"And now, you say that the evil is still growing in strength," the military commander demanded. Link nodded grimly. "Goddess help us."

Suddenly, Riju realized that everyone was looking to her for advice and guidance. After all, she, Link, and Buliara had agreed to propagate the lie that she had been responsible for sating the Divine Beast, so of course her leadership would be demanded in this instance. She began unsurely, her voice shaky. "The path forward is dark and unclear," she began, "and I foresee much darker days ahead. But," she amended, suddenly looking solely at Link. He gave a small smile, and the steel present in his eyes was encouraging. For a moment, she was silent, lost in thought about what she wished could have been, if only circumstance had been just a bit different. "But," she continued, the words coming to her more clearly now, and her voice containing more confidence, "we are a strong people. We have withstood the Great Calamity and come out the other side strong. What is important at this moment is that we not lose hope. Unity, courage, and discipline will see us out of this alive, just as it always has in the past."

Link's small smile was now a large grin, as it made him happy to see that Hyrule had regained its voice. He was especially happy that it had been Riju to become this voice. She'd undergone so much hardship in her life, from the loss of her mother at such an early age, to the demands of the townsfolk as she had to take over her town at such a young age, to the revival of the Divine Beast, Yiga Clan attacks, and the struggles of everyday leadership. Link was incredibly proud of everything she'd managed to accomplish, and wanted nothing more than to see her succeed, especially where he himself had failed.

Riju noticed Link's approval, and it only made her more confident in her own abilities. "In fact," she continued, "I believe that this conflict can see Hyrule into a new golden age; one that signals to the world writ large that ancient powers do not die easy, that we will not go quietly into the night, that Hyrule is back! What we need is simple: to unify the peoples of Hyrule against the forces of darkness. And it starts right here." She looked to Link one last time for encouragement. Though the smile had died from his face, it was replaced by a strong determination. Link was here for her, and would do whatever it took to ensure the continuation not only of the Gerudo people, but of Hyrule as a whole.

Riju had her people ready, but it was time for her final address. "The ancient legends speak of many heroes. The Hero of Clouds, who brought our peoples to the surface of this world. The Hero of Time, who united the Seven Sages to beat back the forces of darkness themselves. The Hero of the Seas, who locked the same darkness away once more. The Hero of Light, who saved the world from the encroaching twilight. I tell you today that we have a hero in this room. Link carries the blade of the Goddess, forged by the Hero of Clouds, wielded by every hero who has saved our kingdom since, and most recently used to slay the Great Calamity. With him on our side, how could we possibly fail?" The people around the table nodded to themselves. Riju was right, how could they possibly disagree with her at this moment?

Some twenty minutes later, Link was alone on the balcony outside of Riju's room. He'd left the group of planning military leaders, citing a need to clear his mind for his best possible thinking to occur, but hadn't done much thinking. Dark thoughts plagued his mind as he gazed off into the night sky, roughly in the direction of the Gerudo Highlands. The dragon Farosh caught his eye, and he felt true fear. Whatever this dark power was, it could corrupt the world in ways he'd never before seen. Even when cleansing Naydra of the corruption of Calamity Ganon, she hadn't been aggressive toward him, but the corrupted dragon from the desert had been. How was he supposed to fight back against a kind of power that could turn the Goddess's chosen protectors of the world into powerful foes?

"A rupee for your thoughts," Riju asked elegantly, walking up to Link. "Or do you prefer to brood in silence, out here in the night air?" Link turned to look at her, giving a solemn half-smile. She leaned over the balcony next to him, letting out a soft sigh. "You know," she said, staring absentmindedly at the dragon, "the sight of Farosh used to bring me relief. Before you showed up, it was the only thing that did. I would think, 'perhaps this proves that Hylia hasn't abandoned us', but now when I look at it, all I can see is a possible foe. How are we supposed to fight something that can turn Hylia's own protectors against us, Link?"

"You can keep your rupee," he chuckled. "You spoke my mind without the price."

"Ah." She turned to look at Link, and he turned to look back. They'd been leaning over the balcony shoulder-to-shoulder, so they were close. Very close. The night was cold, and Riju's breath made a slight fog. "I'm almost as tall as you, now," she said, attempting to lighten the mood.

A slight grin spread over Link's face. "That's true. Careful, or you might spring past me."

"Oh, I doubt it; my bloodline is pretty short. This is about as tall as I'll get," she dismissed. He would be an inch taller than her forever, she supposed. Oh well, there were certainly worse things to worry about. Striking a quieter, more intimate tone, she began again, "You know, Link... I need you-" She caught herself. "Your help, I mean. We all do. We really will need the combined strength of all of Hyrule, and we both know you can accomplish that. I'm afraid I'll be relegated to a side role in this conflict once more. I'm sorry to be of such little use, as always."

Link cut her off. "You're not worthless, Riju. You-" Link caught himself. "You, and people like you, are what gave me the drive to keep going. And you'll have a large role in this fight, I feel. Larger than either of us yet know."

"You'll have to leave again, won't you?"

"Yes, but I don't know what to do. It was so easy before; Zelda told me every step of the way what I had to do, but now she's... unable to fulfill that role... and I don't know the first step to take. You understand better than anyone else I could ever tell, the expectations of the world on your shoulders, an insurmountable threat on the horizon, and an unknown time to total obliteration at the hands of unspeakable evil..."

"I do, Link. But," she caught her breath and took a step closer. The two were practically chest-to-chest now. She continued. "But, in my darkest hour, you were there. You always knew exactly what to say to make it all okay, Link, and I hope I can do the same for you." She leaned in, pressing her head against the Hylian's shoulder. "We'll get through this." Link was surprised but not uncomfortable with the Gerudo's openness, and he wrapped his arms around her back, taking a deep breath. The two stood there for a moment, just breathing, until something behind Link rang.

Shocked, the hero spun around, unsheathing the Master Sword and keeping Riju squarely behind his back. Fi simply floated there, emotionless. "Goddess, Fi, don't take me off guard like that," he sighed, returning the ancient blade to its holster.

"Master Link, I detect a signal from the Forbidden Forest. According to my calculations, there is a 90% chance that the Great Deku Tree is reaching the end of its life and wishes to have counsel with you before it dies. Given the current dire circumstance, I urge that you head to the forest as soon as possible, as the Deku's wisdom may be of great use." With that, Fi vanished back into the sacred blade that Link carried.

"Well," Riju said, her voice half-encouraging, half-whisper. "You'd better go..."

"I suppose so. I'll be back as soon as I can. Until that time, take this." The hero flipped the young woman a small clicker. "It's called a pager, I think. I got it some time ago. The button lets me know that you need me, so if you're in distress at any point, don't hesitate to press it and I'll be there immediately."

Riju nodded. Link took out the Sheikah Slate and began to fiddle with it, turning away from her. Just before he was about to leave, Riju spoke up. "Hey, Link..." The hero turned toward her. "Stay safe out there. And come back, okay?" Link shot her a reassuring smile before becoming blue particles, vanishing into the night.

Riju was scared. Very scared. This thing, whatever it was, was a greater threat than the Calamity had ever been, and they were thoroughly unprepared to face it. But, despite her fear, she couldn't help but feel like Link would find a way to take them through this whole thing safely. He always had.

In the Forbidden Forest:

Link materialized at the foot of the Great Deku Tree, just in front of the pedestal in which the Master Sword had rested. He turned to face the ancient korok, whose leaves were slowly drifting to the ground.

"Why hello, Link," the tree began. "It is good to see you again. I am glad you made it. I suppose you should know, my life is soon to end. I have lived for many thousands of years, and my death will be natural, but I feel that there is a great evil in the world which we must discuss. This evil which you awoke has been asleep for over ten million years, and it will soon attempt to plunge not just Hyrule, but the entire world into millions of years of darkness. It is up to you to stop its advance."

"But how am I supposed to defeat this," Link asked. "This evil dwarfs the evil of Ganon."

"That much is true, young one, but the prophecies of old foresaw this occurrence, too. None has yet happened which was untold of. Therefore, be silent, and just listen. I have much to tell, and very little time to tell it...

"Our story begins in the time of old. Technological advancements had reached unspeakable heights, and the Goddess blessed the people of Hyrule with empire spanning the entire continent. It was at this time that the resources to build the Divine Beasts, shrines, and towers. The main purpose of each of these was not to help the hero defeat the Great Calamity, but rather an evil that had not been seen in this world for ten million years. Each race was given three gifts: a Divine Beast, a champion's bloodline, and a pure crystal cut from the crown of the Goddess Hylia herself. Thus far, only the Divine Beast and the blood of champions has been uncovered. The crystals were buried deep, as they were far more valuable than either of the others. One final gift was granted to this world, that being the Triforce. You will need to recover each of these artifacts to defeat the evil that we face today."

"Where are they?"

"That I cannot tell you, young one. However, even now, as my life force will only sustain me for a few more moments, I have one final gift to bestow upon you. It is a gift of knowledge. Climb me, young one, and reach my canopy. Therein lies the final holy shrine built by the ancient ones. May the Goddess be with you."

With that, the Great Deku Tree died. All was silent in the Forbidden Forest. The koroks were nowhere to be found. The Master Sword ringed, and Link turned to face Fi. "Master Link," she intoned. "I detect a movement at the top of the Great Deku Tree. My calculations denote a 99% parallel between the energy signature of the source of this movement and the energy signatures of the Divine Beasts. I recommend a hasty investigation." Fi withdrew to the Master Sword and Link began to scale the corpse of the Great Deku Tree.

It took nearly fifteen minutes, but Link scaled the tree. Lo and behold, there was a shrine at the top. Swiping his Sheikah Slate, Link was granted entry to the ancient hallway.

This shrine was less like the shrines Link had been in before and more like the holy chamber at the end of the Master Sword's trials, a massive, nearly empty chamber. The whole of Hyrule was displayed in a rim at the top of the room, and there were four monks sitting in a pentagon around a pedestal not unlike the one Link had first drawn the Master Sword from. The monks were unusual; while the ones Link had previously met with were clearly of Hylian physique, these ones were not. Pointing toward each of the species' domains, what appeared to be representatives of each race sat. One had a Rito's birdlike frame, one the gentle slope of a Zora, one the massive bulk of a Goron, one the tall and muscular physique of a Gerudo, and the final the traditional Hylian physique. They spoke at once:

 _"Great Hero. You have done well to defeat those enemies which have been in your way thus far, but, in the name of the Goddess, we must ask that you complete one final trial. This will test you in ways you have never before had to withstand, and, even if you prepare as best you can, we cannot guarantee that you will be able to best the challenges we put before you. Do you accept this final burden, Hero? Will you, one final time, lay your life down for the good of Hyrule?"_

"I will."

With those two words, the atmosphere shifted. A bright, yellow light flashed, and suddenly the monks were no longer meditating, but standing at attention.

 _"Great Hero, place the Holy Blade into the pedestal before you."_

Link did as he was told. Once more, the bright yellow light flashed. Fi left the Master Sword and bowed to Link. The Hylian looked around and saw that each of the monks was also bowing to him. The Zora monk stepped forward first, and spoke alone.

 _"Great Hero, I am the representative of the Zora people. The Champion of my people lives to this day; listen with great care to my words, as the fate of the world depends upon them: the regal blood produces one final child - with a heart of gold and a grin to match - Ruta will recognize pilots both new and old. The Goddess Hylia also bestowed upon my people the Great Gemstone Aquamarine; the final Zora King will reveal its place at the sound of my name; listen with great care to my words, for they will determine the future of this world: I am Zara, the nameless one."_

With that, the Zora monk dissipated into green dust, before reforming into a blue orb. Mipha's soul was drawn out of Link's chest, and the two spirits were caught in a flurry, spinning and dancing around one another, drawing ever closer to each other. As they made contact, the merging souls, flying all across the room, formed into a massive ball of water. The water fell, splashing upward before evaporating to reveal a spectral mist, from which a semi-corporeal body began to form. Mipha stepped out.

"Link," she whispered, "I can feel again... Could it be? Have I returned?"

Before the Hylian could respond, the Goron monk stepped forward.

 _"Great Hero, I am the representative of the Goron people. The Champion of my people lives to this day; the blood of Daruk produces one final kin - timidity overcome by dire circumstance - Rudania will recognize pilots both new and old. The Goddess Hylia also bestowed upon my people the Great Gemstone Jasper; the Goron Boss will reveal its place at the sound of my name; I am Zanat, the everliving one."_

With that, the Goron monk dissipated into green dust, before reforming into a red orb. Daruk's soul was drawn out of Link's chest, and the two spirits were caught in the same dance of the first pair. After a long moment, the ground shook and a ring of fire emanated from the conjoined souls. The souls became heavy, dropping directly to the ground in a heap of molten rock. Daruk scrambled out of the pile of near-lava, regaining physical form.

"AHAHAHAHAHA! Link! Buddy! I'm back!"

Once more, the Hylian was cut off by the approach of another monk, this time the Rito.

 _"Great Hero, I am the representative of the Rito people. The Champion of my people lives to this day; Revali's family continues to this day - grit channeled into a honing of the aerial craft - Medoh will recognize pilots both new and old. The Goddess Hylia also bestowed upon my people the Great Gemstone Tourmaline; the Rito Chief will reveal its place at the sound of my name; I am Zaradan, the airborne one."_

With that, the Rito monk dissipated into green dust, before reforming into a green orb. Revali's soul was drawn out of Link's chest, and the two spirits were caught in the familiar dance. A massive, strong wind swirled through the chamber, forming a whirlwind before Link's very eyes. The winds and clouds died down, leaving only a green mist in their place, from which Revali graciously emerged.

"I guess you're not the only one who can come back from the dead, eh, Link?"

He didn't even try to respond, as he knew that the fourth monk would stop him before he could. The Gerudo stepped forward.

 _"Great Hero, I am the representative of the Gerudo people. The Champion of my people lives to this day; Urbosa's bloodline has split - a life in service, the old guard will become new - Medoh will recognize pilots both new and old. The Goddess Hylia also bestowed upon my people the Great Gemstone Turquoise; your dear Riju will reveal its location at the sound of my name; I am Zebanya, the seventh heroine."_

With that, the Gerudo monk dissipated into green dust, before reforming into a yellow orb. Uurbosa's soul was drawn out of Link's chest, and the two spirits were caught in a final dance. Circling each other, the souls edged together, sending sparks flying. Lightning bolts shot out, and thunder sounded. The electricity became palpable in the air, and a storm cloud formed. The lights flickered fully off, their energy having been drawn into the warring souls, and a massive lightning bolt struck the surface. Rock shot up, creating a yellow mist. From the mist emerged Urbosa, whole once more.

"Hey, kid. Good to finally see you with real eyes again."

Finally, the Hylian monk stepped forward.

 _"Great Hero, I do not bring you a quest. Head to the Sheikah Elder Impa's abode; there she will speak to you her final words. She will reveal the final Champion and the Amethyst, stone of secrecy, at the sound of my name: Zaran, the lord of silence."_

The final monk dissipated into green dust, a purple soul quietly floating toward Link, joining with him like the spirits of the Champions had after he'd liberated their Divine Beasts.

"So," Link began, "this was unexpected."

A new voice began.

 _"Indeed it was, Link. I am Zelda."_

"Zelda," Link asked incredulously. "How did you find me? You're dead; I failed you."

 _"You did not fail, Link. It was the Goddess's plan that I fall after vanquishing the Calamity, so that I may help you in this way. There are three pieces of the Triforce scattered throughout Hyrule; known as the three blades. The first is the Blade of Courage, and it is readily available to you. I bestow it upon you now."_

With that, golden particles appeared from the rim of the room, coalescing just in front of the Hylian warrior. They smashed together, crunching down so small that they could not even be seen anymore, and all that was noticeable was a blinding light, brighter than the sun, from a particle the size of a needle's head, before returning to normal size slowly. A triangle of gold spun slowly in the center of the chamber, and all four Champions surrounding Link looked on in awe.

 _"Put forth your sword hand, Link..."_

Doing as told, Link thrust forward his left hand. The small triangle flew toward him, and into his skin. It burned, quite literally branding the young man's hand, but Link didn't cry out. He simply winced as the Goddess's blessing imprinted itself onto him.

 _"This is the first of the Goddess's three utmost blessings, designed to help the Hero defeat the ultimate evil. Through your valor in combat, your numerous achievements, and your unflinching faith to the mission of the Goddess Hylia, you have earned this blessing. May your sword be guided with courage in even the darkest of nights. Two more of these blessings remain; the blessing of the Blade of Power and the blessing of the Blade of Wisdom. The Blade of Power may be attained once you unite the tribes of Hyrule in defense against the encroaching evil; after doing so, return here, take the Blade that Seals the Darkness, and it shall be granted. The Blade of Wisdom may be attained once you master the trial of ultimate wisdom. The steps to this are simple; each of the races has a library that contains a fragment of an ancient knowledge. Once you have united the races, you must look through each of their libraries, piece together these fragments, and master the trial."_

"I see," Link responded.

 _"Finally, Champions, you have each been granted corporeal forms once more."_

"Yes," Mipha agreed.

"Aye," said Daruk, grinning.

"It's about time," Revali muttered.

"Through the grace of the Goddess," agreed Urbosa.

 _"This is only temporary; you will be returned to your places nested within Link's soul once you leave this ancient chamber. However, you will be able to manifest yourselves in your respective villages. It will be up to you to help convince the new Champions to join into the fight and gain the allegiance of your peoples. Once you have done so, you will return to life for as long as you naturally survive."_

"Noted," Revali said, clearly scheming on what he'd do with his newfound life. The other three deceased Champions merely listened on.

 _"The ultimate goal is to beat back the evil that encroaches upon this world once more. Never forget that. You have six weeks until it reaches its ultimate power and stages an attack. This attack will come from the southwest. May the Goddess be with all of you."_

"Wait, Zelda," Link called out. "What about you?"

 _"The blood of the Goddess shall return to face against this evil. You will see."_

 _"And, one final thing, Link... You and Riju are cute."_

"What? That's not even something that's happening," Link protested.

"Oh, but it totally is," Revali said, inspecting his feathers.

"Yeah, didn't you notice," Mipha asked, giggling behind her hand. "I mean, the two of you were practically making out on the balcony earlier..."

Link merely sighed as Zelda's voice disappeared. The group had six weeks to unite Hyrule in defense against the greatest evil the world had ever seen, but at least they now had a starting point. Link decided he'd go in the order of his first adventure: beginning with the Sheikah and proceeding counterclockwise around Hyrule from there. Besides, the first three areas he'd visit had the most obvious clues about the new Champions and Goddess's stones, and the groups owed him the most. He went to remove the Master Sword from the pedestal, but Fi stopped him.

"Master Link," she mechanically intoned, "I would not suggest taking the Master Sword with you on this trip. The events of today have unlocked a memory that was hidden inside of me by the Goddess Hylia. This is the Chamber of Ancients, and it essentially serves as a battery to charge the Master Sword for the final confrontation against evil. Unless you are forced to follow another pattern, I calculate a 87% probability that the best course of action is to leave the Master Sword here for as long as possible. This will allow the blade to recharge for as long as it can, as well as ensuring that you are at your maximum possible power before you remove it for the final battle."

"Fair enough," Link said. The spirits of the four Champions joined with Link once more, and he turned to exit the Chamber of Ancients.

 **AN: if you enjoyed the fic, follow/fave it. if you hated it, leave a review telling me what to do better**

 **until next time**

 **~~c**


	6. Chapter 6

**AN: yes, i did forget that the individual pieces of the triforce are still known as triforces. whoooops. for the duration of the story, suspend your disbelief, they're called blades for the context of this world.**

 **anyway, hope you enjoy this chapter. follows, faves, and reviews are great, the feedback really does help.**

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Link was tapping on his Sheikah Slate at the top of the Great Deku Tree, putting in the coordinates for Kakariko Village, when a bright blue light flashed from the Gerudo Desert. "That must be the contact beacon," Link muttered, a little miffed that he had to scrap his previous instructions. He didn't mind checking up on Riju, especially if she was in need, but he wasn't great with technology, and it took forever to put in precise coordinates on the ancient device.

"Do you think she's in trouble," Urbosa asked, concerned for the Gerudo Chief.

"Probably," Link said dismissively. "And if she's not, she's got something important enough for her to pretend to be in trouble to get my attention for. Either way, things probably aren't peachy in Gerudo Town right now." As he finished his sentence, he also finished the inputs on the tablet, and evaporated into blue light before Urbosa could've responded to him.

Moments later, the Hylian materialized on the entryway to the Daqo Chisay shrine. To his surprise, nothing was on fire, and he didn't hear any screaming. If anything, the town was very slightly darker than usual; more hushed, as if it had something to hide. He went to walk through the northern gates, when the guard at the entryway stopped him. "Halt, voe," she shouted sternly. "Your kind are not welcome in the Gerudo Town." Link sighed and rolled his eyes.

"Look," he groaned, "I haven't slept in the better part of a week and there's something in town urgent enough for Lady Riju to call me here from literally the opposite side of Hyrule. So there are two ways this can go down: either you can let me through to see what in Hylia's name is going on, or this town can have one less conscious person."

"You don't scare me, voe," the guard said, not flinching. "You will not ent-"

She was cut off by a snap. Urbosa had materialized next to Link. "But you should be," the 100-years-dead Gerudo Champion warned. "This voe killed Calamity Ganon, something even I couldn't do. So do me a favor and let us through before this gets any uglier than it has to." Stunned at the appearance of the subject of more than a couple Gerudo myths, the guard didn't even notice as Link slid through the wide entryway.

Inside the town, Urbosa walked just behind Link, gathering gasps and guffaws from all who looked. Link just trudged on forward, ignoring them all as he headed to the throne room to look for Riju. She wasn't there, which was a little frustrating. Link hadn't lied; it had been more than four days since he'd last slept, and while he'd certainly gone longer as needed, it didn't mean he enjoyed feeling the dark circles form under his eyes. Luckily, Buliara was in the throne room. Although too weak to stand in her usual place by Riju's throne, she had stayed conscious. Impressive, for someone whose heart had been forcibly stopped and subjected to mundane discussions over trade policy in the same day. "Link," she called, sitting against the wall. "Over here."

"I see you," Link assured her as he walked over. 'Was that too snappy? I really have to work on my manners when tired,' he thought as he walked over.

Kneeling next to her, she gathered her breath and relayed her piece. "Sentel prince showed up a few minutes ago. Flanked by some of his warriors. Thought we'd have a fight on our hands, but he surrendered to us; said something to Riju. I didn't hear most of it, but he looked shaken up. They all did. Riju took the important ones down to the war room and sent the rest for medical attention. They're still down there, as far as I know." Link thanked her for the information and told her to get some well-deserved rest. "Ha, you wish," she scoffed. "Can't sleep now, there's too much going on."

"And it'll still be going on without you," Link assured. "You were struck by lightning, like, yesterday morning. You shouldn't be walking, let alone worrying about present circumstance. Seriously, get some rest." Buliara nodded, but Link knew better than to think that she'd actually get any. Some battles just weren't worth fighting, and he walked downstairs to the war room. There, Prince Salim was sitting at the table, his head in his hands, clearly in duress. He was flanked by a single guard on either side, and they didn't look much better than he did. In the far corner, the head Gerudo general was discussing something with a Sentel man dressed officially in a hushed voice. Riju sat with her back to the entrance of the war room, and therefore Link, leaned very slightly backward, her hands pinned behind her head in a position Link had learned to associate with being deeply lost in thought. Careful not to interrupt her thought process, Link silently pulled out a chair for himself and sat at the table. Salim shot him a dirty look, to which Link responded with a shit-eating grin.

"Ah, he's here," Riju said, suddenly noticing Link. "Salim, tell him what you told me."

"Why should I trust him? He took down five of my best men," Salim complained.

"Because if you want to get out of this mess alive, he's the only option we've got," Riju explained, holding back her frustration. "So tell the whole story over. I could use another go at hearing it, as well."

Salim sighed. "Just a few hours after you left, my guards at the south wall sounded the alarms. No more than thirty seconds later, the guards at the north wall sounded their alarms. Then the east. Then the west. Before we could even mobilize troops, the entire city was surrounded by something. I hadn't even seen what they were yet. That was when the screaming started. The men at the south wall were overrun in a matter of seconds, then the north, then the east, then the west. They were slaughtered. Fires were set across the city. We couldn't see what had attacked us through the smoke, but the remnants of my royal guard escorted my generals and I out of the city. That was when we first saw them. Monstrous beings, made of some sort of black sludge. They ran on four legs, had no eyes, had no face. Just mouths. Mouths and claws. They were fast, so fast, and they leapt over walls and buildings. One jumped onto my head royal guard, knocked a 200-pound man down in an instant, and started to... started to feed on him... I don't know of any other way to explain it, it was just... it shoved its head onto his chest and just burrowed... he was dead in instants. They killed the whole town like that. Only myself, my two top generals, and a few of my guards made it out alive..."

With that, the Sentel prince fell silent. Link couldn't blame him; the hero had felt similarly when he'd first recalled the night of the Calamity. "So," Link asked, his voice loud and clear, directed toward the group of Sentels. "Is there any precedent for this in Sentel history? The creatures, I mean. Had they ever been seen before, by city officials, scouting parties, warriors, or even vagabonds?" The men shook their heads. "Any references to them in Sentel literature? Mythology, even?" Once again, the men shook their heads. "Then this is progressing faster than I thought it would," Link muttered. Turning suddenly to Riju, he beckoned that she follow him. The two made their way up the winding staircase to the night air. Riju followed Link as he walked out of the small courtyard that the entrance to the war room was hidden in, then continued to walk out of the castle, and out of Gerudo Town as a whole. He kept walking for several hundred paces before stopping abruptly, looking around to ensure that they hadn't been followed, and sitting in the cold sand.

"Why are we all the way out here?"

"I need to make sure that we aren't being followed," Link explained, "because this is for your ears only." Feeling the hairs on the back of his neck stand up, he knew the two were no longer alone. Suddenly, the Hylian broke into a huge grin and grabbed Riju's hand, pulling her in close, and spun her around.

"Link, what the hell," Riju protested, but he caught her eye, and, despite his wide smile, signaled to her that they weren't alone. 'Just go with it', his eyes told her. So she went with it. Pretending to be surprised - well, not really pretending \- she allowed Link to spin her around in a dancing fashion. Smiling to keep up the facade, she very carefully scanned the horizon as the two danced, when suddenly she saw someone. Beneath a laugh, she raised her eyebrows to Link to signal that she'd seen someone. Link stopped their dance naturally a moment later, pulling Riju in even closer. "Five o'clock," she whispered, close enough to feel his breath on her face. He winked to her before shoving her backwards. The shove caught her so badly off-guard that she fell onto the cold sand. As she got up, she looked in the general direction of the figure she'd seen. There was no longer one, but four, and Link was in the middle of all of them, swinging a broadsword in a fashion that looked wild but she knew to be calculated. In a few moments, each of the eavesdropping parties were dispatched, and Link held one beneath the tip of his sword, interrogating him. Once he'd gotten what he wanted, he killed the listener. The others had vanished in the meantime. As the Gerudo Chief brushed the sand off of her back, Link made his way back toward her, wiping his blade on a cloth he carried around for, apparently, that express purpose.

"Sorry about that," he said. "This is confidential information, and I wanted to make sure that we were completely alone before I relayed it. If the Yiga Clan had picked it up, like they were trying to, who knows what might've happened." With that, he explained the information that he had learned in the Chamber of Ancients.

"So we have another Champion on our hands?"

"More than just one. I'm pretty sure I know the identities of the new Zora, Goron, and maybe Rito Champions, but I have no idea who's the new Gerudo."

"Well, good thing I had you come here, then. While you're out rallying the troops across Hyrule, I can focus my efforts on scouting out the Gerudo Champion. Do you know how we could possibly find them?"

"That is the single biggest problem," Link explained. "I have no idea how to find out who the Champion is, or what we'd do even after we found out."

"But I do," Urbosa said, having materialized a few moments earlier, unnoticed.

"Lady Urbosa," Riju shouted, dropping to one knee and bowing her head in a Gerudo salute.

"Rise, my child," Urbosa commanded, chuckling a bit. "I should be the one bowing to you; you were far more effective in protecting our people and Hyrule than was I. Irrespective, the process of determining a Champion is long and complex, but the first step is simple: weed out the competition. A Champion is always far more effective in combat than all but the highest of competitors; Link was even defeating adults in combat at the age of four. The first step will take the shortest amount of time, perhaps a few days to host a tournament and find, definitively, the five most gifted Gerudo for combat. After that comes the tricky part, but we'll cross that bridge when we get to it."

"While that's all well and good," Link interjected, "we still have perhaps a more important objective: to recover the Gerudo gemstone. I think the monk said it was a piece of turquoise?"

"Ah... about that..." Riju began, sheepishly. "It may have been... stolen. Perhaps just a bit. By the Yiga Clan. They're really quite successful in their raids; I've beefed up security in recent days, but my mother, may Hylia rest her soul, kept it woefully light, and, as such, the gem was taken some ten years ago."

Link swore under his breath. "Well, that's just fantastic, isn't it? I'll head there immediately, and, I swear, no one is leaving that cave alive. The Yiga Clan have been a thorn in our sides for far too long, they're being dealt with tonight."

"I'll mobilize a force as soon as we get back to Gerudo Town," Riju offered.

Link denied. "Nope. A large force would just get in my way, and we can't afford any injuries or casualties now. I'll go in, kill every single one of these fuckers, get the turquoise, and come back by morning. And when I get back, I'm sleeping for a day and then heading out to rally the other peoples of Hyrule."

"A solid plan, if you ask me," Urbosa chimed in. "We should be off, Link. The clock is ticking, after all." With that, Urbosa returned to the depths of Link's soul.

"I can make it back to Gerudo Town from here," Riju assured. "No need for me to slow you down. I'll gather the people of Gerudo Town in the morning, and we'll organize the tournament to figure out who the next Champion is." Link nodded, turning around to head to the Yiga hideout, but Riju stopped him for just another moment. "Wait," she said, her tone hesitant. "Be careful, please. You're a great dancer, I'd hate for that to be the last time we did that..." Link smiled reassuringly, flipped up the Hylian hood he regularly wore, and ran off into the night.

Mipha took this moment to pipe up. _"You have to see that that's a thing, now, right?" _

"Shut up," Link grumbled. He didn't have time for his childhood friend to tease him.

* * *

In less than twenty minutes, Link had traversed the Gerudo Desert into the Highlands, and was sitting just above the entrance to the Yiga Hideout, surveying his targets below. That had been a fast trip, even for someone as attuned to the desert as Link was; and he was quite familiar with it, having spent the better part of three months surviving alone in its hotter portions, just to see if he could, and then his time working as a mercenary for the other kingdoms of the extended deserts, beyond the range considered Gerudo. Adding to the natural exhaustion from the flat-out sprint he'd maintained all the way here was the days of fatigue that had been piling up on the Hero, and he considered holding off on assaulting the compound tonight. But the stakes were too high; it was possible that Link hadn't noticed a Yiga spy and the Clan was realizing the power of the turquoise as he sat there. With this dire thought in mind, Link slunk down the walls of the cavernous opening that led up to the Yiga Hideout. Two guards stationed outside met a quick fate, bursting into the red symbols that always accompanied their deaths. Stepping inside the main base of operations, Link saw that the Yiga had set up the same system to hide their entrance as the first time he'd been there: curtains, all over the place, but still keeping an open flame in the middle of the room. Link chuckled. They never learned, did they? Rather than set the one curtain he knew to be hiding the door on fire, Link set every single curtain on fire, and then all the pots and boxes behind them, and then the sticks and grass that dotted the ground, and then the wooden supports of the enclosure itself. As far as he was concerned, the whole damn place could burn.

As the blazes reached an inferno, the final support became unstable and snapped like a twig. The boulders came tumbling down, crushing the spot Link had stood just moments earlier, and he cackled through a coughing fit as the dust rushed into the main compound. Whether or not he killed every member of the Yiga Clan, he would certainly make their base unusable. Unsheathing a Savage Lynel Sword, he searched through the first few rooms of the hideout, scouring for the precious turquoise and killing the Yiga as they slowly filtered in to check on the collapse. After having broken every pot, searched every corner, looted every Yiga he came across, and bombing every wall to check for hidden passageways, the Hylian gave up on the first two rooms, and, with four well-placed fire arrows, ensured that the area would collapse just like the entryway had. The third area was going to be Link's toughest challenge, as, despite his confidence in taking down individual Yiga, Link was fatigued, and wasn't sure if he could defeat the hordes of Yiga he'd had to the first time he raided the base without sustaining serious injuries. Therefore, Link elected to play the Yiga hub safely, crawling about the rafters, dropping down to kill isolated Yiga warriors with a flurry of silent attacks before retreating with Revali's help to the rafters once more. After four rounds of this deadly game of cat and mouse, the area was clear, and he searched for quite some time. Just before he was going to give up on the room and sentence it to the same fate he'd inflicted twice already, he noticed a small, camouflaged hatch in the floor. Sneaky.

Jumping down the hatch, Link grabbed onto the ladder halfway down. Catching his breath after the strain on his shoulders of the move he'd just pulled, he elected to slide down, rather than fall the rest of the way. It wasn't quite as fast, but it didn't hurt as much. At the bottom of the ladder was a small room, which contained a malformed hunk of light-blue gem set on a pedestal. It looked like a turquoise, but it sure didn't look holy. What were the odds that the Yiga Clan kept more than one turquoise in their base, though? Not high, but Link couldn't afford to take chances, so he decided to take the rock and keep searching, in case he'd picked up the wrong one, but when he touched the gem, something strange happened. Reality warped, and Link was shaken off of his feet. The dimly-lit, red-rock room of before was gone, and in its place was a featureless black void. Link was alone, except for one thing: a pedestal, containing a light-blue rock.

"Well," he said to himself, sighing. His voice echoed in this place. Strange. "I suppose this is the turquoise after all." He got back up to grab the rock, but an unseen force pushed him back down. The more he struggled against it, the stronger it got, until he was pinned completely to the floor of this strange, vacuous void. The pressure continued to grow exponentially, until it became too much for Link's system to handle, and the Hero passed out.

* * *

When he came to, he was once more alone in the void, this time without even the Goddess's gemstone to keep him company. "-," he shouted, trying to see if anyone was there. "-?" Suddenly, he realized he couldn't hear himself. His mouth was definitely moving, and his vocal chords were doing everything they were supposed to, but no noise was coming out. He was relieved to find that he could move as he stood up, but, unsheathing his sword, he heard nothing. So it wasn't so much him as everything that was silent in this realm. Okay.

 _"I sense the soul of a warrior,"_ a woman's voice rang out. Well, not quite a woman, but certainly feminine. It was melodic. _"Perhaps the time has finally come that I will return to the light. I am the turquoise of the Goddess Hylia. Young warrior, if you are truly powerful enough to wield the Goddess's gem of lightning, let your thunder be heard!"_

Let his thunder be heard? How was he supposed to do that, when nothing he could do made any noise? Perhaps this was a riddle of sorts, divined by the Goddess to ascertain that no one but him ended up with one of her sacred gems. If so, there was certainly some clue present in the instructions given; to let his thunder be heard. Pacing, the hero thought for a moment and what noise he could make that no one else could. The obvious answer was something having to do with the Master Sword, as he was the only one in the past ten thousand years to wield it, but he'd left it in the Chamber of Ancients, so that was a no-go. What else could he do? Fire off some lightning arrows? Painfully bland, probably too mundane for this trial, but it was worth a shot. He fired off three arrows, none of which made a sound. After a moment, nothing happened, so he moved on in his considerations.

Link's internal monologue was interrupted by a spark at the edge of his sword. "- -," he shouted, forgetting that he couldn't exactly make noise right now. This puzzle was so incredibly easy; he could literally simulate thunder. With a swing, Link called upon Urbosa's Fury, and a crack of thunder permeated the room. The darkness was evidently a facade, as it faded away just after this.

 _"Congratulations, Hero. Take me, and together we will fight back against the darkness."_

Just in front of him floated the turquoise. Evidently it had been struck by Urbosa's lightning, as it had reformed from a massive hunk of rock into a tiny gemstone, small enough to work as a jewel inserted into a sword. Link took it, and he felt new power course through his veins. Things touched by the Goddess herself tended to do that to you.

His primary objective complete, Link set out with his secondary mission: neutralizing the threat posed by the Yiga Clan. After he climbed back to the top of the ladder, Link wasted no time in demolishing every support in the hideout's hub, then the back rooms, killing the last of the Yiga warriors along the way. However, once he'd finished with the inside of the Yiga Hideout, he was unsure of how to deal with the outside, specifically the large crater in which he'd fought Kogha.

 _"I can harness the power of the Lightning Wielder to reshape the very fabric of this world."_

That sounded fun. Link took out the turquoise and, unsure of what to do with it, held it in front of himself awkwardly. He stood like that for a few moments, and, with nothing happening, got a little anxious. "Um," he said, out loud. "Excuse me, gemstone? How am I supposed to use you?"

 _"Call upon the power of lightning."_

Link grunted in response. Urbosa was getting a lot of work in today, so he'd need to be careful in the near future to avoid exhausting her to the point of damaging her soul. Come to think of it, he might be getting close as it was, but the allure of trying out a new toy was far too tempting, so he called upon Urbosa's strength once more. The turquoise began to shake a bit, and a continuous beam of lightning shot out of it. The gemstone hadn't been lying, as it melted through stone like a hot knife through butter, quickly bringing down massive chunks of rock. Link could've controlled the stone, if it had kept at a steady stream, but, as luck would have it, the dragon Farosh was flying overhead at that very moment, and the turquoise began to channel his energy, as well. The force of the stream increased by magnitudes, knocking Link over and cleaving through reality itself. The beam evaporated the nearby rock, and it would later be discovered that Link accidentally cut the peaks off of several mountains. Separated from the one controlling it, the turquoise stopped channeling energy immediately and dropped harmlessly to the ground. Carefully, Link retrieved it and, having played around enough with forces of nature, decided to pocket it.

* * *

Riju noticed Link walking into town, and considered asking him whether he was successful in his mission. However, it was always a safe bet to assume that Link had been successful in whatever he set out to do, so, the elements of fatigue being plain on his face and body, she decided to leave him alone. That was, until she noticed him checking into the local hotel on a night's minimum cost.

"What exactly do you think that you're doing," she asked, startling the tired man.

"Well, 'm jus' tryin' to get some sleep here at the 'otel," he mumbled, barely conscious.

"I think not. Come with me." She turned and paced away, but he seemed not to have heard her, staying in place. He was less standing his ground than staring off into space, though, so she took his hand and led him to the castle. An intimate gesture, she knew, and one that was sure to start rumors among the townsfolk, but the rumors were already starting. A voe allowed in Gerudo Town in the first place was out of the ordinary, especially considering how close he and the Chief obviously were. Once they were in the castle, and the whispers among the night vendors had begun in force, she led him upstairs to her room. If anyone saw this, it'd cause a legitimate scandal, but she wasn't concerned with that. She cared more about making sure he didn't run himself into the ground.

"Where am I," he drowsily asked as she lowered him into bed.

"Hush, no questions. Just sleep." He didn't put up a fight, not even when she brushed a lock from his long, golden hair out of his face. He was already asleep.


	7. Chapter 7

**AN: by the time this chapter goes up, my winter break will be over, which means that the pace at which i update this will fall down significantly. so, if you care to keep up with the story, you should probably leave a follow/fave/review/other way to find the story again. with that being said, i hope you enjoy this chapter, and hope that i don't have to drop this entirely to keep up with homework again (trig's a biiiiitch).**

 **this chapter in particular took forever, because, no matter what i did with it, i wasn't happy. i rewrote the second and third scenes no less than four times, but i finally found something i think is at least passable.**

 **i hope you enjoy**

* * *

Link woke up in a real bed the next day, for the first time in the better part of a year. He got up groggy, pressing his palms against his eyes and rubbing the stars away furiously. He hated being groggy; a warrior could rarely afford to have their senses hampered, especially not just after waking up, a time in which many predators would expect sluggishness and, therefore, be quick to strike. "Where am I," he wondered aloud. A quick look informed him that he was in the Gerudo Town, in Riju's bedroom, more specifically, but he had no memory of how he'd gotten there. "Did I-"

He was cut off by the gruff voice of Buliara. "Did you do anything improper? No. You came back half-delirious in your tiredness, and Lady Riju escorted you to the best bed she could find." Link nodded in response, not having anything in particular to say. The story made sense; he probably shouldn't make a pattern of attacking enemy bases after a four-day stretch without sleep. "But," Buliara continued, "it's interesting that your first impulse was to assume you'd slept with the Lady." Link's eyes widened, a blush rushing to his cheeks as he tried (and failed) to come up with a witty retort. The Gerudo bodyguard chuckled. "Relax, your secret is safe with me," she assured.

"I have no secrets," Link groaned, his hand flying to the bridge of his nose. "And I don't understand where people keep getting the impression that I do from." Buliara simply flashed a knowing grin. Even if the Hylian didn't know how he felt yet, she did. She supposed she approved, as well.

"If you're looking to meet with Lady Riju before you leave, she left here a couple of hours ago. Said she was going to the war room, I'd assume she's still there." Link nodded in thanks, heading down to the secret war room. It'd be best if he headed out as soon as possible, but there was no reason not to coordinate with Riju one final time, just to make sure that all the important pieces in this chess match were on the same page.

"You're up early," Riju said, catching him off guard before he'd even left the castle. "Looking for me before you headed out, or stocking up on something available in the marketplace?"

"Looking for you. Just making sure that we're on the same page about the plan of defense. I'll send every military I gain the alliance of to the Town, the Champions will be a little behind them."

"Why send everyone here? There are certainly more strategic places to hold out, Hyrule Castle chief among them."

"Whatever this thing is, it attacked Sentel first, which makes me think that the evil I released in the Library of the Gods is the same thing that we're going to be dealing with in six weeks, so it's coming from that direction. This town is the best place to face them for a couple of reasons: firstly, it's the last place we're guaranteed to have a head-on conflict with the forces of evil. If we tried to hold out at the castle, it's exceedingly likely that whatever this thing is would simply conquer the rest of Hyrule and cut off our supply chains until we had to fight on its terms, not ours. Anywhere else we go, the same problems arise. Here, at least, we have a clear view of everything around us, so we don't get caught off guard. Secondly, we're going to be amassing a ground army the likes of which hasn't been seen in Hyrule for the last century. The infrastructure to hold such an army only exists in two places in Hyrule, period: here, and the Zora Domain. The Domain is an intriguing choice, but if the dams holding back the reservoirs burst, night night to our little resistance. Thirdly, if we fail here, we've at least bought the civilians of the other regions some time to get away from this thing before it hits them." Riju couldn't argue with his reasoning; he was a fantastic military mind, and had he not been just as good with a sword, she wouldn't have let him leave her war room. "I'll send the Sheikah people your way first. They travel well, so I'd expect them here by the end of the week. The Zoras and Gorons are a different story, the Rito might beat them here."

"We'll be ready for them. The tournament to decide the Champion is officially underway, and I've spoken to Urbosa about the trials that a Gerudo Champion must conquer. Goddess willing, whoever the Champion is, we'll have them identified before you get back."

"Good," Link said. "Keep safe, and if anything happens, don't hesitate to call me." With that, he was gone, vanished into the blue particles that took him into the sky. Riju spent a good amount of time watching the patch of sky he'd vanished into. 'Goddess help him,' she thought. Should anything happen to that man, the world would fall apart.

* * *

Kakariko Village was silent. It was always quiet, but this time was unlike the others. Despite the clear sky, the mood around town was as if a heavy fog had settled over each individual. Link pushed through the oppressive silence toward the shack in the middle of town, where he knew he'd meet Impa.

When he pushed through the doors of the Sheikah elder's abode, the reason for the awkward, worried atmosphere around town became clear. Impa was not on her chair, and a small sob could be heard from up the stairs. Link quickly made his way up the staircase to see Paya kneeling over Impa's bed, where the old woman was physically beginning to shrivel in on herself. Impa was, with great effort, running her fingers slowly through Paya's hair to calm her when she saw Link.

"Why, hello again, Hylian champion," she croaked, attempting the mysterious, hopeful tone she'd managed so easily a few years earlier, when the two had met for the first time after the Calamity. "Paya, we have a visitor. Your old grandmother would like to wash up before I speak with him. Will you take him out on a walk while I get ready?" Paya began to protest, but Impa flashed her a slight smile. "I assure you, I can manage on my own."

Paya nodded, took her grandmother's small, frail hand in her own, and pulled it into a warm embrace for a moment. "C-call... if you need me, w-won't you?" Impa showed another grin, and Paya turned toward Link. "H-hello again, Link... my grandmother would like to wash up before she speaks to you. Would you come with me?"

The two walked out of the house, Paya repeatedly blinking tears out of her eyes as they walked. Link was the first to break the silence. "Is she in pain?"

After a shaky breath, Paya responded. "No, not really. She came down with a flu a few weeks ago, the doctors gave her some herbal remedies, but... she's just so old, and so fragile, now, that a passing breeze would've been enough to knock her down. She just never got better. The herbs and tea make it painless, but she's only got a few days left at best."

"I'm so sorry... is there anything I can do?"

Paya's voice cracked and she turned away as she responded, choking back tears. "I d-don't th-think so..." Link wrapped an arm around her and let her cry on his shoulder. They sat there, downstairs, for a long while. After nearly twenty minutes though, Impa called faintly from upstairs to let the two know that she was ready.

"So you've come back one more time, Link," Impa said, chuckling slightly. "My vision begins to fail me, but if I'm not mistaken I see that you no longer carry the Master Sword? Why is that?" Link explained the entire situation to her, beginning with the night he'd come to the Gerudo Town for Riju's celebration up until the night before, when he'd acquired the goddess's turquoise. She listened attentively, not interrupting, and placed her head in her hands. "So it has finally come to pass. I always felt that it would happen in my lifetime," she muttered to herself. Turning back up to focus on Link, she addressed him with a clear, sharp voice. "You have unleashed something. An ancient evil, far more corrupt than even Calamity Ganon. Sit, and I will relay the oldest of the Goddess's legends.

"Long ago, there was naught but a dark, empty void of crackling storms and whirling winds and rushing seas, and it spread throughout the world and all of the universe. This was chaos. It had always been this way, it would continue to be this way for as long as anyone could imagine. In this darkness, there were two eternal souls: light, and dark. The soul of the light glided gracefully across the surface of the great and endless sea, and where her feet touched the turbulent waters there was calm, and light, and melodies, and the storms of the sky would part for a moment to reveal the great beauty of the stars above. But there was another force, one that thrashed and writhed malevolently below the tides. He was the dark, and his existence was wrought with pain; a great pain of his body being thrashed against sharp rocks. But this pain was overshadowed by a far greater pain: that of his hatred for the light. He would always follow her, and to the areas that she brought peace he would return the world to chaos. This was the state of existence for millennia, until one day the light had grown tired of her monotonous existence and, with a great sweep of her hand, slowed the winds, halted the rain, and calmed the seas. She then plunged into the ocean's great depths and grabbed the land below with her bare hands, and with a great jump, she dragged Hyrule out of the abyss. But, as she was doing this, the dark saw her antics and plotted a way to put a stop to them, and to return the world to that which she hated; the pain and darkness and chaos of years before. He came up with a plan so devious that the spirit could never predict it, and set to work. It was this: he noticed that the soil of Hyrule was unlike the jagged rocks of the great ocean, as it was soft, and he could dig his way through it. He planned that he would, from beneath the waves, eat at the foundation of the light's chosen holy land, and when it was weak enough and the light was busy elsewhere, he would use Hyrule itself to burst from below the waves for the first time. His plan worked, as the light was busy creating other worlds. Every other dimension, every other universe was created in a matter of only a few days, as the light frolicked through the infinite cosmos, creating as she saw fit. When she finished, she created her final masterpiece: the library of the gods. It was just as the library finished that the spirit of the dark burst out into Hyrule, and he plunged the world into chaos and darkness. When the spirit of light returned to this world, she could not find Hyrule from the infinite sea, and, as she searched, the light began to realize what had been done. She filled her lungs with air and blew out light into the darkness, and the spirit of dark's ugly face was revealed, and it grinned a terrible grin, his eyes full of starless night, his teeth jagged and bloody. He pounced onto her, closing his jaw around her neck, and with a cry of triumph ripped out her throat, throwing her limp body aside as he feasted on the bloody flesh he'd taken away from her.

"After a short while, he grew hungry once more, and turned to consume her flesh again, only to see that she was not there. At that moment, the light dropped onto him from above, a sword in hand, and pierced him through the heart. However, he did not die immediately. He was a difficult beast to kill, just as hard as she was, but he realized that here, in the open air, he would never triumph against her. So, in a moment of evil cunning, he grabbed the light by the shoulders and dragged her below the waves. As she fought against him valiantly with a sword, like an honorable hero, he lost all his sense of good, and was overcome with a tremendous hunger. He dove in time and time again, ignoring the light's blade as it sliced through his flesh, biting off chunks of her flesh and dragging them away. He became immensely powerful, but the light had one final trick up her sleeve. She made herself tiny, so small that she could fit her whole body into his mouth, and she dove in. He swallowed her up, and the world, for a moment, saw true darkness. But then, the two both disappeared in a flash of light, and she had brought him to a sanctuary that she had created in a flash, and she slid her sword through his soul, and the blade ate him up and trapped him. But she couldn't keep him there without her full strength, so she gave a single thought, and all the gods and goddesses were created in a moment, and she resigned herself to the blade's holy chamber.

"Since that day, he has been working with all his strength to escape, and it was foretold some time ago that he would eventually free himself from the tomb that the light had created for him. The Demon King Demise, the great Calamity Ganon, and all the other villains of Hyrule's history have simply been him lashing out toward this world. The heroes that have risen to meet each have been the light's response."

Link took the monologue in for a moment, before asking the obvious question. "What does that have to do with the current situation?"

Impa sighed. "It is simple. When you went to the library of the gods, the light sought out your soul and had you draw the holy blade. The act of drawing the blade released the ancient darkness. It is therefore clear that you are the one chosen to lead the resistance against the dark, and, should you be successful, entrap the darkness to make way for another hundred million years of light."

Link scratched at his chin. "So then... I suppose the stakes are fairly high. This information is helpful, but I was supposed to get two other things while I was here. The monk told me that you would reveal the Sheikah Champion to me."

Impa sighed. "I do not know what you mean, hero. The Sheikah people have lived to serve for far too long. We have no Champion."

"Well then, Zaran said that I was supposed to get the goddess's amethyst, at the very least."

"The amethyst? Ah, it all makes sense! Link, the goddess's holy stones are powerful alone, but, in harmony, they can control the world! Quickly, you must go to the woods east of here! Therein lies the amethyst! When you wield it in combination with the other stones, you must place them into-" Impa was cut off as a sharp tip burst from her stomach. She coughed, and tried to finish her sentence, but the triangle twisted, and a serrated blade was wrenched from her back. Blood spilling from her mouth, she fell to the floor. Behind her stood an entity made just of shadow.

"Stupid bitch," it muttered. Its voice was peculiar, each word being backed up by an echo, almost as if a chorus of people had chanted the word at slightly different times. "He can figure that out without your help." It spat on her corpse. Link drew a Savage Lynel Sword, shoving Paya behind him to protect her. The being turned to Link. "So _you're_ the pathetic child who's supposed to face me? Fiana has certainly lost her edge over the eons. Or do you even have her blessing?" Wiping its blade clean absentmindedly, it flicked a snakelike tongue into the air. "Ah, yes, I can smell her aura about you. But she's not here."

"What are you," Link growled.

The being scoffed. "I am your worst fucking nightmare, kid. The embodiment of all that has ever gone wrong in this world. I would leave you to suffer the same fate as the rest, but you'll supposedly be my only real threat. Lucky you. You'll die quickly."

With that, the creature was upon him, moving fluidly. Link jabbed his blade forward, a stab to check his opponent's defense, standard play for a swordsman. The being reacted in a fashion unlike anything Link had ever seen before, though. It swung its sword at the perfect time to meet the guard of Link's blade, and as the two made contact, the Hylian's sword cracked. For a moment, Link was shocked, but he didn't have time to register what had just happened, as the beast pressed its advantage, swinging over and over again. Not having another real option, Link simply held up his shield, hoping to ride out the storm, but it soon became clear that he could not hope to, as each swing cleaved cleanly through the hard steel. With his sword completely destroyed, his shield in tatters, Link was defenseless, and the being kicked him square in the chest with the force of a boulder. Link flew into the wall behind him, now embedded, in a daze. He could do no better than watch as his killer sauntered toward him. Paya attempted to stop the creature, but, with a flick of its wrist, she was floating off the ground, her arms held out to either side, paralyzed by some magic.

"You care for him," the beast said. Paya did not respond. "I can feel it in your soul. Love. Tut, tut, you humans are so weak, to allow yourselves to be manipulated by such things." Paya still didn't respond, but her face scrunched up in rage, a tear escaping her eye. "Well, you're going to watch this." She turned her head away, but the creature's magic snapped it back toward Link. "You're going to watch as I take this pathetic child and relieve him of his intestines."

Cackling, the creature brought its blade closer to Link, but stopped when something caught its eye. "And what might this be," it muttered to itself, amused by the ball of purple light that had emerged from Link's chest. It followed the soul across the room, watching as it met with another soul, this one having come from Impa. The two merged silently, then made their way toward the living Sheikah girl. They entered her chest.

In that moment, all hell broke loose. Link's left hand shone out with a holy gold light, which made contact with the shadowy form of the intruder, knocking it back into the wall and causing its blade to fall from its grip. At the same time, Paya's previously brown eyes turned a deep purple, and the spell that had bound her in place snapped. Now free, she held up her right hand, and purple energy shot out of it. She aimed it at the shadowy murderer, and it seemed to cause it pain, as it grunted loudly. Link dislodged himself from the wall and aimed his hand in a similar way. The two, with their powers combined, forced the being's physical body to dissipate, but its voice still rang out.

"I am only at a fraction of my power. You have forty days, child. Forty short days. I will be here again. Your world will crumble and your light will be snuffed out." It cackled. "Until we meet again!"

Paya collapsed to the ground. After a few moments, she regained consciousness, but did not have the energy to stand up. The two souls from earlier split from her, forming into Zaran and Impa. They spoke in unison.

" _Paya, o young one, will you hear our plea?_ "

"I will," she responded.

" _This world is in peril. You are needed to defend it. Will you accept our humble plea, that you take your rightful place as Sheikah Champion_ _?_ "

"I will."

" _The Sheikah people need a leader. Will you lead Hyrule's brave defenders into battle against the forces of darkness?_ "

"I will."

" _We deem you worthy. Goddess be with you_."

With that, they were gone.

Paya turned to Link. "So, that was interesting. If you'll excuse me, I have to rally my troops. Please inform the Gerudo that they will be receiving our full assistance in a few days."

"Wait," Link called as she turned away. "Paya, you just lost your grandmother. You can't be alright, can you?"

Paya thought for a moment, putting her words together, before carefully responding. "Impa is gone now, but she's with me forever. In the same way that the champions of old are with you forever. I now remember much of what she remembered. You'll be able to find more information on the location of the Amethyst from the Great Fairy. Our library is small, it holds the amethyst. You will find all the information about the blade of wisdom we have there."

With that, she left.

* * *

Link had been trudging through the dense underbrush of the woods for hours, now, searching for the small bunker that the Great Fairy had described to him. He was getting ready to set up a fire and sleep for the night, but just as he was about to do so, he tripped over a wooden handle.

"Well, that'd be it," he muttered as he dusted himself off. He reached down to the handle and yanked upwards, revealing a dark staircase adorned with unlit torches. He pulled out a torch of his own to use as light, but they all suddenly snapped to life with purple light, as if the bunker had been waiting for him. "Creepy," he muttered, but headed down anyway. After almost eleven minutes of descent, he reached a dank basement area. Although it may have once been lavish, time had caught up to the room, as its supports were beginning to falter under the weight of the soil above, and small pools of water were gathered in areas that the concrete ceiling had already failed. A purple torch was above one such puddle, and water was regularly dripping on it, but the light did not die out. "Guess that's no regular flame."

" _Hero..._ "

Link snapped to attention as a holy voice called out.

" _I am the Amethyst... this is a place of secrets... none enters here without them, and none leave with them. My location will be revealed once you speak your heart's true desire._ "

Link thought for a moment. "I desire... I desire to see this world safe. For no one to ever have to worry about Ganon, or darkness, or whatever else. I desire for the world to settle down."

" _These words you speak are not incorrect. But they are not true. Your heart wants one thing, and one thing alone. Ask yourself why you wish for these things, and speak_."

"I don't know what you mean... I want them because they're my destiny, they're my job."

Only silence answered him.

"I want them because I can't fail. Because if I don't succeed, then everything will be lost!"

Still, just silence.

Link began to grow impatient. In an annoyed voice, he continued. "If I don't succeed here, then everything is just fucked. I'll die. I'll have let everyone I know down. She'll-" he stopped speaking abruptly. "Oh," he whispered. Previously standing tensed, shouting, he now slid down to his knees. "Oh."

He realized why he kept going. It wasn't because he had some divine duty to. No, he now realized it was for the people he found important. One person, specifically. He began again, his voice humble, his mind racing. Link didn't even really realize he was saying it until after he already had. "Riju."

" _Yes?_ "

"I love... Riju."

A door slid open in front of him. Behind it, a single book. He walked forward, allowing instinct to carry him more than anything else, certainly not consciously aware of his actions. His mind was on a completely different subject now. His hands reached out, as he watched them. A passive observer to his current actions, his body picked up the book. In the cover, which was so far away now, despite it being only a foot or two from his face, was a small, purple gem. A faraway voice spoke to him.

" _I am the Amethyst. I have waited long for this moment. When I am in your hand, you shall see the truth, plainly as day. No secrets shall be hidden from you. All you have to do is ask._ "

* * *

Blue strands filtered in from the desert night sky. Link flipped up his hood as he walked through town. Although he was allowed in the town without crossdressing now, it was best that he at least keep his face covered, to avoid a controversy from the people of the town. As he entered the palace, he was unsurprised to find that Riju was not on her throne. She had been completely consumed with the war effort lately; if she wasn't sleeping, she was overseeing planning sessions and drills. The guards gave Link the necessary directions to find her, and he was off.

"The first of the Sheikah have arrived," she told him. "You're truly a blessing."

Link assured her that the Sheikah would be far from the last reinforcements she'd be receiving, and then asked her, "Have you ever thought about what you might want to do, after this is all over? Assuming we win, that is."

She turned to face him. "What do you mean? I've got the Town, this is my entire life."

"Yes, of course. But, I mean, you'll have certain responsibilities, but they certainly don't take up your whole life. I kept an eye on the Town over the past couple of years, you know. I see that you spend most of your time just sitting on the throne, waiting for something to go wrong."

"I suppose you're not wrong," she admitted.

"What do you plan to do with all that extra time," he asked.

She turned away, averting his gaze. "I don't know," she muttered.

"Very well," he sighed, turning to walk away. Link flipped his hood back up and shoved his hands into his pockets. A good eye might've caught a slight smile on his face, and an even better one would've seen a flash of purple light reflecting off the stone he'd held flat to his palm before pocketing it.

He'd asked the right question. The stone had given him the answer he'd wanted.


End file.
